Full Citation
Title: Paths towards economic security through education and work
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2021
ISBN:
ISSN:
DOI:
NSFID:
PMCID:
PMID:
Abstract: Over the past year, New York City has grappled with the health and economic impacts of COVID-19, both of which have disproportionately harmed low-income New Yorkers and communities of color. Rates of unemployment have reached heights not seen since the Great Recession,1 businesses have been forced to close,2 and, to make ends meet, millions of New Yorkers have become increasingly reliant on aid policies and programs, like food pantries3 and expanded unemployment benefits.4 While the impact of COVID-19 has been felt across New York City’s economy, those working in specific industries and occupations have been hit especially hard. A recent Poverty Tracker report showed that nearly half of workers in New York City lost employment income as a result of the pandemic, but workers in industries like food, hotel, entertainment, construction, and retail saw more sizable losses.5 Poverty Tracker data has also highlighted that work and income loss was more prevalent among Black and Latino New Yorkers than white New Yorkers. Black and Latino New Yorkers were also more likely to work as essential and frontline workers, putting them at risk of contracting COVID-19.6 Finally, those who lost work and income during the pandemic were more likely to be living in or near poverty prior to the pandemic compared to those who did not lose work. The Poverty Tracker can also shed light on what helps families and individuals move out of poverty. Research has shown that stable employment, increases in income, and education gains can trigger movements out of poverty.7 These findings highlight that obtaining higher levels of education, like associate’s, bachelor’s, and more advanced degrees, can provide pathways towards economic mobility. But despite the known relationship between education and economic mobility, less than half of working-age New Yorkers, and less than a third of working-age Black and Latino New Yorkers hold a college degree. The findings presented in this report make it clear that New York City must focus on expanding access to college for all, in addition to creating stronger employment opportunities for those who do not pursue a higher education. This report uses Poverty Tracker data to analyze the occupations in which workers without a college degree are most likely to move out of a low-income status from one year to the next. In addition to examining how mobility prospects differ by occupation, we also examine the specific job qualities and benefits provided by jobs with higher-mobility outcomes for workers (in comparison to jobs with lower-mobility outcomes). Finally, we focus on the racial composition of the most-and least-mobile occupations, highlighting inequalities in access to higher-mobility jobs among New Yorkers. Findings from this report should inform the plans and policies that policymakers and business leaders implement to rebuild the city’s economy and to protect against future economic crises like the one brought on by COVID-19. The Poverty Tracker shows that far too many New Yorkers struggle to make ends meet and that the goals of the city’s economic recovery must move past a return to the status quo. Instead, the city must focus on expanding access to education and higher quality jobs for New Yorkers of all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, in addition to shoring up our country’s safety net so that families are better prepared for current and future crises.
User Submitted?: No
Authors: Org, Povertytracker Robinhood; Maury, Matthew; Omoragbon, Airenakhue; Collyer, Sophie; Oltmans, Sarah; Sarnoff, Chloe; Wimer, Christopher
Publisher: Poverty Tracker
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Education, Labor Force and Occupational Structure, Poverty and Welfare
Countries: