CFE agenda 051115 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I qul IabIE t_ i owt17 1'I (:)f'iI( ()F I 'rc 111eseairclh i'li iang� e 1I1e7n n which reveals the persistence of racial barriers to economic opportunity — including overt discrimination as well as more subtle forms of exclusion that are embedded into institutions and systems. However, not all people of color are equally affected, and many barriers seem to disproportionately affect Blacks and Latinos. While overall unemployment in the Research Triangle region is lower than the national average, Latinos, people of other and mixed races, and especially African Americans have much higher rates of unemployment. The region's African American workers face higher unemployment rates than their White and Latino counterparts at every education level, and both Black and Latino residents earn lower wages than Whites at every education level. Wage disparities persist even among highly educated workers, with college- educated Blacks and Latinos earning $7 /hour and $11 /hour less than their White and Asian counterparts, respectively. Poverty and the challenge of a growing number of people who are among the working poor (defined here as working full -time for an income below 200 percent of the poverty level) are both on the rise in the region and are most severe for communities of color. One in three Latinos and one in five African Americans 11c]hcyl IIII <aiid III 1:1 now live below the poverty level, compared to less than one in ten Whites. Latinos in the region are more than six times as likely to be working poor than Whites. Poverty is also becoming entrenched in rural and inner city areas, leaving those at the fringes and the heart of the region most vulnerable. Disconnected youth The region's future quite literally depends on the ability of its youth to power its economy in the years to come. Although the fact that more of the region's youth are getting high school degrees than in the past is a positive sign, the number of "disconnected youth" who are neither in school nor working is also on the rise. In the region, 30,000 youth are currently disconnected, nearly 60 percent of whom are Black and Latino. On the positive side, dropout rates have improved significantly over the past decade for Blacks and Latinos, although nearly half of Latino immigrant youth still drop out of high school. An uneven geography of opportunity and prosperity While the Research Triangle is experiencing renewed growth, prosperity is not distributed evenly in the region. Many rural and inner city areas suffer from a lack of car access and limited transportation choices, with Warren and Vance counties having at least 10 percent of households without a vehicle. Poverty is 1111me Iregilarlrn's African Americans ai nd II. ad:illrnos earlrn ow Wages ai nd afire Irrioire Ililllk(flly to be Wolrlldi ng ai nd Ipoor Working Poor Rate by Race /Ethnicity, 2012 1111111111 All Im White u[ Black 111111 Latino Asian /Pacific Islander 111111111 Native American Other 0000l000000i 27.7% um }uuuuum 13.2% uuuuuuuuVUUUUiuuuuuuII 12.1°/ 0' 9.1% uuuuuuumuuuuuuumu 8.5% 6.8% 4.5% 2012 Median Hourly Wage by Educational Attainment and Race /Ethnicity, 2012 White 111111111 Black su Latino Asian /Pacific Islander Other ,t') Less than a HS Diploma, More than HS BA Degree HS Diploma no College Diploma but less or higher than BA Degree Source: IPUMS. Universe includes civilian noninstitutional full -time wage and salary workers ages Source: IPUMS. Universe includes the civilian non - institutional population 25 through 64. Note: Wages for Asians and Others with a HS diploma or less are excluded due to ages 25 through 64. Note: Data represent a 2008 through 2012 average. small sample size. Data represent a 2008 through 2012 average. Dollar values are in 2010 dollars.