Focus on Income
STAY INFORMED.
SIGN UP FOR OUR
E-NEWSLETTER
Why We Focus on Income
 |
Oregon and Washington have the highest minimum wage rates in the country. Still, for many people, work does not provide a path out of poverty. Almost half of Americans whose family incomes are less than $25,000 are working full or part-time.
People of color are less likely to earn a living wage in the Northwest. Moreover, race and ethnicity have a greater bearing on the income gap between whites and minorities than do education and work experience.
Young people looking for their irst job are increasingly competing with adults for minimum
wage positions. In fact 80% of minimum wage workers are adults and three out of four are
women. For people with challenges to employment, such as ex-offenders and people with
disabilities, entering the workforce is even more difficult.
Living Wage Employment
At minimum wage, an individual must work 72 hours per week, 52 weeks per year to afford a two-bedroom apartment for a family in the Portland-Vancouver area. About 60 percent of families in poverty have a household member who works. Many households in our community must choose between paying the bills, paying for prescriptions and paying for healthy food. Many working people still need public benefits like Food Stamps to make ends meet. |
Stable, Affordable HousingBy a conservative estimate, there are approximately 9,000 homeless individuals in the four-county area on any given night. Of these, an estimated 4,000 are people in families with children. Adults with DisabilitiesEmployment is a priority for many adults with disabilities. Sixty-two percent of people with disabilities are between the ages of 16 to 64 or “working age.” Two out of three who are not working say they can and want to.
|
Prioritizing Community Needs
Read more about the issues: Community Needs Assessment
Give Now
Giving to United Way of the Columbia-Willamette means helping your neighbors. Invest your time, money or resources in the building blocks of a good life.
Live United in Your Community
Five Things You Can Do
- stay informed
- wear the shirt
- give back
- make a donation
- spread the word