Inequality in Jobs, Income and Education

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• Inequality in Jobs, Income and Education
• Camden, Pasquotank, Perquimans
• Counties
• Dr. Leslie Hossfeld
• University North Carolina Wilmington

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County PopulationData Source US Census Bureau
2003
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Percent Population by RaceData Source US
Census Bureau 2000
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Measuring Inequality
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Income Variables
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Distinction Between Income and Wealth

• Income is money received as wages, rents,
  interest

• Wealth consists of income and property (stocks,
  bonds, real estate)

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Per Capita Income Total Money Per Resident of
the Area Data Source US Census Bureau 2000
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Per Capita Income GapData Source US Census
Bureau 2000 Gap calculated by difference between
White and Black Per Capita Income and percentage
of Black Per Capita Income to White Per Capita
Income
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Mean Household Income Average Household
IncomeData Source US Census Bureau 2000
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Mean Household Income GapData Source US Census
Bureau 2000 Calculated as Difference Between
White and Black Mean Household Income and
Percentage of Black Income to White Income
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Poverty

• Poverty Line established in 1964 adjusted
  annually to account for inflation, but logic of
  measure is outdated
• Does not account for regional variation - same
  measure across US (except Hawaii and Alaska)
• Critics argue that official poverty line would be
  50 higher if current social and economic
  considerations were part of logic behind measure

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Poverty is defined as a standard of living that
falls below the basic, minimum requirements to
sustain an adequate diet, adequate housing and
adequate health.

• Poverty is the struggle to meet these basic
  requirements
• Poverty implies not only the lack of adequate
  income to meet these minimum requirements, but
  also the lack of assets that create wealth

Things are tough. Jobs are hard to come by. I
dont know how people make it."
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Certain categories of people are at greater risk
of being in poverty than others

• Children
• Non-whites
• Women Feminization of Poverty
• These categories are disproportionately
  represented in the category of officially poor
• Wealth and poverty are not equally distributed

Poverty means no home, no food."
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Percent of Population Below Poverty 2000Data
Source US Census Bureau 2000 Poverty Threshold
in 2000 17,050
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Percent of Children Below PovertyData Source
US Census Bureau 2000
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Who Are The Poor?

• In Perquimans County, Blacks are 2 times more
  likely to be poor than Whites.
• In Pasquotank County, Blacks are 1 ½ times more
  likely to be poor than Whites
• In all three counties, non-white children more
  likely to be poor than white children.
• In Perquimans County, black children are three
  times more likely to be poor than white children
  in Pasquotank County, black children are five
  times more likely to be poor than white children.

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Percent Families in Poverty with Female
HouseholderData Source US Census Bureau 2000
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Annual Unemployment Rate 2006Data Source North
Carolina Employment Security Commission
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Annual Unemployment Rates by Race and CountyData
Source US Census Bureau 2000
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Who are the Unemployed?

• In Pasquotank County, Blacks are 3 times more
  likely to be unemployed than Whites
• In Perquimans County, Blacks are over 2 times
  more likely to be unemployed than Whites
• In Camden County, unemployment rates are very
  similar across race, with whites slightly lower
  Whites 3.2 and Blacks 5.2

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Measuring Wealth Home Ownership

• Housing is the largest component of a households
  net worth
• Despite impressive gains in the last decade,
  Blacks continue to lag behind Whites in terms of
  home ownership
• More importantly, Blacks tend to own homes that
  generate less equity than White-owned homes

Poverty means you cant do basic goals like
taking care of your family and yourself
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Mobile Homes provide less equity for families and
consequently less wealthHome Ownership Rates
Including and Excluding Mobile HomesSource US
Census 2000
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Home Ownership Rates by RaceSource US Census
2000
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Measuring Education Inequality
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Educational AttainmentData Source US Census
Bureau 2000
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Per Student Expendituresand Average SAT
ScoresData Source North Carolina Department of
Public Instruction
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Percentage of Students who passed BOTH Reading
and Math End of Grade Exams by RaceData Source
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
2005-2006
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Difference Between White End of Grade Scores and
Black End of Grade Scores 2004Source NC
Department of Instruction 2004
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• For more information contact
• Dr. Leslie Hossfeld
• Department of Sociology
• and Criminal Justice
• UNC Wilmington
• hossfeldl_at_uncw.edu
• 910 962 7849