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January 2023

An Equity Profile of Lancaster County

Overview

Already known as the refugee capital of the United States, Lancaster is steadily becoming more diverse as people of color increasingly move into the county for school and work. Over the next few decades, a larger share of the area’s residents will be people of color from a rich variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. As a result, the success and prosperity of the county rely on dismantling unjust barriers and ensuring that everyone can participate in and enjoy the benefits of a thriving economy. This profile — developed by a coalition of the county’s civic organizations in partnership with the National Equity Atlas (a partnership between PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute) — is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania. It illustrates how ongoing inequities in Lancaster have fueled racial disparities in income, housing, educational attainment, and many other areas. These growing gaps are costing the county billions of dollars in potential economic growth each year. In addition, the accompanying summary offers several policy solutions to bolster existing local efforts aimed at advancing racial equity and creating prosperity for generations to come. Read the profile and summary. To delve deeper into the state of equity and equitable growth in Lancaster County, explore equityprofilelancaster.com.

Happy Holidays from the National Equity Atlas

Dear Atlas users,

As 2022 comes to an end, we're celebrating what has been both a productive and transformative year for our team and partners. This year, we produced more than 30 data products, including reports, fact sheets, equity profiles, dashboards, and analyses, that have helped communities and advocates across the nation win on equity. Here are a few more updates from the Atlas to close out the year:

Applications for the National Equity Atlas Fellowship Are Now Open!

Are you a mid-career grassroots leader of color who’s interested in learning how to leverage data to bolster your organization’s campaigns? We’re now accepting applications for the second cohort of National Equity Atlas Fellows. This year-long program offers selected participants hands-on training in data analysis and visualization, opportunities to engage with data and policy experts, access to a peer network of other community-based leaders from across the United States, and dedicated support in developing original data projects. The deadline for applications is January 21, 2023, and the fellowship will begin in March 2023. To learn more about the program and how to apply, visit nationalequityatlas.org/lab/fellowship-cohort2.

Ensuring Workers in the Miami Metropolitan Area Are Prepared for the Jobs of Tomorrow

South Florida’s economic rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic has been turbulent, driven by persistent barriers to quality employment prospects for residents of color and an elevated risk of automation-driven job displacement. Our latest workforce equity report — produced in partnership with Florida International University — examines what these upheavals and ongoing racial economic exclusion are costing the three-county region. Our in-depth analysis of disaggregated equity indicators and labor market dynamics found that Black workers and Hispanic women in the Miami metropolitan region have the lowest median wages at $16 per hour, while white men earn the highest median wages at $27 per hour — a 69 percent pay gap. The research also indicates that eliminating racial gaps in wages and employment for working-age people could boost South Florida's economy by $122 billion a year. Download the full report, and explore other regional analyses in our Advancing Workforce Equity project.

Join Our Team

The USC Equity Research Institute invites applicants to apply for a one-year postdoctoral fellowship in support of the research and activities of the Atlas. The postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to contribute to building data infrastructure for the equity movement, conduct quantitative and qualitative research, and participate in engagements with community advocates and policymakers. Please help us spread the word!

Thanks for Being a Part of Our Growing Network

We appreciate your continued support and interest in our work. Please stay tuned for new research, updated data, and more opportunities to connect with us in 2023! In the meantime, if you’ve found any of our data, research, or resources valuable this year, we want to hear from you! Share your thoughts and stories with us at info@nationalequityatlas.org.


- The National Equity Atlas Team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI)

January 2023

Advancing Workforce Equity in Miami: A Blueprint for Action

Overview

South Florida’s economic rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic has been turbulent, driven by persistent barriers to quality employment prospects for residents of color and an elevated risk of automation-driven job displacement. This report—produced in partnership with Florida International University and Lightcast, with support from JPMorgan Chase—examines the economic costs of these upheavals and ongoing racial economic exclusion in the Miami metropolitan region. Our in-depth analysis of disaggregated equity indicators and labor market dynamics found that Black workers and Hispanic women have the lowest median wages at $16 per hour, while white men earn the highest median wages at $27 per hour—a 69 percent pay gap. The research also indicates that eliminating racial gaps in wages and employment for working-age people could boost the region's economy by $122 billion a year. The report concludes with several strategies to advance workforce equity in South Florida and to ensure that all workers, including those who face the additional burdens of systemic racism, are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow with the skills, supports, and access they need to fully participate and thrive in the economy. Download the report.

The Atlas Team Has Grown!

Dear Atlas users,

In this season of gratitude and giving, we want to thank you for supporting the National Equity Atlas and our work. We’re gearing up to release updated data and new research that help further advance racial and economic equity. To increase our capacity and better support the leaders and communities we partner with, we’ve expanded our team. Here is more on this exciting news and other updates:

Atlas Team Members Who Joined in 2022 (from top left to bottom right): Alex Balcazar, Bita Minaravesh, Gabriel Charles Tyler, Jennifer Tran, Ryan Fukumori, Seleeke Flingai, Simone Robbennolt, and Vanessa Garcia.

You might have already noticed, but there have been many new members added to the Atlas team this year. Please help us in officially welcoming them: Alex Balcazar, Bita Minaravesh, Gabriel Charles Tyler, Jennifer Tran, Ryan Fukumori, Seleeke Flingai, Simone Robbennolt, and Vanessa Garcia. We’re thrilled to have these eight amazing leaders support and boost our change-making work!

ICYMI: A Blueprint for Workforce Equity in Metro Detroit

The latest report in our Advancing Workforce Equity project spells out how long-standing racial gaps in income and employment have impacted Metro Detroit’s workforce and economy: People of color make up a large share of the region’s workforce. Despite this growth and the increasing economic prosperity in the region, Black and Latinx workers in particular aren’t benefiting equitably. Our research also shows that eliminating these racial gaps would provide the region with an estimated $28 billion in economic activity per year. The report and its findings have been covered in Crain’s Detroit Business, Axios Detroit, and Bridge Michigan.

New State Profiles Illuminate the Stark Racial Disparities in Eviction across the Nation

Eviction cases are rising across the United States as Covid-era renter protections continue to end, putting millions of people at-risk of experiencing homelessness. The Eviction Research Network — a collaborative research project for social good based at UC Berkeley’s Urban Displacement Project — has released several state profiles that illustrate eviction patterns and disparities before and during the pandemic. The analyses underscore the persistence of racial disparities in eviction, with Black renters consistently facing the greatest threat of eviction in localities across the nation. Thus far, maps and profiles have been released for Delaware, Indiana, Minnesota, and Oregon.

Do You Have an Atlas Story to Share?

If you’ve found any of our data, research, or resources valuable, we want to hear from you! Share your thoughts and stories with us at info@nationalequityatlas.org.

- The National Equity Atlas Team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI)

November 2022

Waterloop Podcast: Turning polls into policy

Fact Sheet: Water Affordability 101

Overview

Access to safe, affordable water and sanitation is a basic human right. Yet, across the United States, communities face mounting threats to their water security, including from the rising costs of water and wastewater service. This fact sheet explains the U.S. water affordability crisis, the current state of federal action and recommendations for a renewed national commitment to safe, affordable water.

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