Library

Reports: Economic opportunity

Data and Technology in Action: Community Colleges Advancing Economic Mobility
Urban Institute, U.S. Partnership on Mobility from Poverty, February 2025, 81 pp.
This report consists of case studies of four community colleges deploying promising data and technology practices to improve economic outcomes for their students. more info >

Collaborative on Economic Mobility
Office of Community Services. Administration for Children and Familie, January 2025, 94 pp.
This report highlights emerging and promising practices that enhance economic mobility for individuals, families, and communities facing poverty. It includes a landscape analysis designed to increase understanding of the factors and conditions contributing to economic mobility. more info >

Building Rural Prosperity: A Look At Current And Future Housing Needs In North Dakota’s Region 4
Red River Regional Council, October 2024, 71 pp.
This study focuses on northeast North Dakota, where population is growing and demand for housing increasing. It identifies potential actions the region and individual municipalities can take to advance density and new home development. more info >

A National Profile of Youth and Young Adults
Annie E. Casey Foundation, October 2024
Presents data related to more than 60 indicators on the health and well-being of young people ages 14 to 24, including employment, poverty, education, health, mental health, and family and community issues. Many of the indicators are available by race and ethnicity, and are also provided by state and, in some cases, by territory, city and congressional district. more info >

America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, September 2024, 118 pp.
Reports data on a set of indicators of child well-being. Indicators included are in the categories of family and social environment, economic categories, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health. This is an annual report. more info >

U.S. Child Poverty in 2023
First Focus, September 2024, 8 pp.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that nearly 14% of children (nearly 10 million) in the United States lived in households with incomes below the poverty threshold in 2023 ($37,482 for a family of four with two children). This represents a 10% increase in child poverty from 2022, resulting in almost one million more children experiencing poverty in a year. more info >

Community-Level Racial Inequities in Young Adults’ Credit Scores Are Likely Driven by Differences in Wealth-Building Opportunities
Urban Institute, June 2024, 16 pp.
Credit score data suggests that a significant portion of racial disparities in young adults' credit scores reflects systemic differences in wealth-building opportunities across communities, including differences in residential segregation and housing wealth. more info >

State of Black America
National Urban League, June 2024
Annual report from the National Urban League. The most recent report focuses on the impact of the 1964 Civil Rights, and includes measures related income, education, health, civic engagement, housing, transportation, and public safety for Hispanic, Black, and White populations. Includes metropolitan area rankings of unemployment and income equality. more info >

Cutting Child Poverty in Half and More: Pandemic-Era Lessons From Child and Family Advocates and Organizers
Foundation for Child Development, June 2024, 34 pp.
This paper examines how comprehensive - but temporary - pandemic-era policies dramatically reduced child poverty and uplifted low-income families. It presents data on poverty rates among young children and explores how family financial well-being directly impacts young children's prospects. more info >

The State of the American Middle Class
Pew Research Center, May 2024
Presents key trends about the economic status of the U.S. middle class, including that the percentage of Americans living in middle-class households has decreased from 71% in 1971 to 61% in 2023. more info >

Nine Charts about Wealth Inequality in America
The Urban Institute, April 2024, 4 pp.
This report examines wealth disparities in the U.S. over time across race and age, demonstrating how gaps in earnings, homeownership rates, retirement savings, benefits from tax subsidies, and intergenerational transfers contribute to wealth inequities. It includes evidence-based solutions for policymakers to build wealth for all Americans. more info >

2023 Needs Assessment Study of Low-Income North Dakota Individuals and Families
North Dakota State University, January 2024, 211 pp.
The goal of this needs assessment is to gain a deeper and more current understanding of the needs faced by people experiencing poverty in North Dakota, in order to adapt and enhance services and programs to better serve and support people in need. more info >

Recent Trends in Children’s Poverty and Health Insurance as Pandemic-Era Programs Expire
Kaiser Family Foundation, January 2024, 6 pp.
This issue brief examines recent trends in children's poverty rates and the impact of expiring federal aid, including the loss of Medicaid coverage for many children. more info >

Benefits to Rural America from the Inflation Reduction Act: Driving Jobs, Investment, and Economic Resilience
E2, January 2024, 24 pp.
Examines the impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act's investment in America’s rural economic growth and resilience, finding that in its first year, IRA incentives spurred 52 major rural manufacturing projects that are projected to create 67,000 rural jobs and nearly $2 billion in worker income. more info >

Race for Results: Building a Pathway to Opportunity for All Children
The Annie E. Casey Foundation, January 2024, 51 pp.
This report uses the Race for Results Index, a collection of data presented by racial and ethnic groups and by state, to examine progress and disparities related to child and youth wellbeing. Indicators address early childhood, academic achievement, teen parenting, higher education, and family characteristics. more info >

The State of America's Children
Children's Defense Fund, December 2023, 86 pp.
A compilation of national and state-by-state data on poverty, health, child welfare, youth at risk, early childhood development, education, nutrition and housing. Report is compiled annually. more info >

Profile of Older Americans
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging, November 2023, 20 pp.
National data profile of older adults, including living arrangements, racial and ethnic composition, geographic distribution, income, poverty, housing, employment, education, health and health care, disability, and caregiving. New reports are issued annually. more info >

Career and Technical Education: Current Policy, Prominent Programs, and Evidence
MDRC, September 2023, 44 pp.
This paper begins with an overview of career and technical education, examining how various policies have fostered the growth of CTE. It also provides details on the types of programs and institutions that offer CTE, and the evidence base to support each of them. more info >

What Can Policymakers Do to Help Young Adults Cope with Debt? Subtitle Credit Health among Adults Ages 18 to 24
The Urban Institute, December 2022, 5 pp.
Nearly 20 percent of young adults (ages 18 to 24) in the US with a credit record have debt in collections, suggesting they struggle to meet their current financial obligations. Many are students or early-career employees with limited financial resources to meet their needs and buffer against economic shocks. Additionally, they may face high interest rates and other barriers when accessing credit. Findings from this report suggest that targeted policies can help improve the financial resilience of young adults and potentially reduce disparities in debt burdens. more info >

Big Ideas for Children
First Focus, December 2022, 191 pp.
Part of a series calling upon policy thinkers to provide fresh proposals designed to advance federal policy and improve the health, safety, and well-being of children. more info >

Material Hardship and Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2022
The Pew Charitable Trusts, October 2022, 9 pp.
This brief examines hardship and financial well-being measures to see how American households are faring post-pandemic. It finds that material hardship rates which decreased during that pandemic have increased in 2022 and discusses policy implications related to this change. more info >

Review of Rural U.S. Economic and Health Care Trends
Center for Economic Analysis of Rural Health, September 2022, 24 pp.
A summary of research exploring the nexus of health care and local economic vibrancy in rural communities. Key issues include the personal and community impacts of reduced services, hospital closures, health care workforce shortages, Medicaid expansion, and the delivery and reimbursement of patient care through telehealth. more info >

Advancing Economic Mobility for Low-Income Families: Policy Options for Governors
NGA Center for Best Practices, September 2022, 25 pp.
Suggests a range of strategies for policymakers to help promote savings and increase income levels among low-income individuals and families. more info >

The Food and Nutrition Assistance Landscape: Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report
USDA Economic Research Service, June 2022, 36 pp.
This report uses preliminary data from USDA, Food and Nutrition Service and USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service to examine program trends and policy changes in USDA’s largest U.S. food and nutrition assistance programs through FY 2021. more info >

The Economic, Educational, and Health-Related Costs of Being a Woman
Center for American Progress, March 2022, 5 pp.
Discusses how from the gender wage gap to gender-based pricing, the cost of being a woman in America is integrated into economic, health, and education systems and requires a multi-pronged policy approach to address more info >

The Supplemental Expenditure Poverty Measure: A New Method for Measuring Poverty
Brookings Institute, March 2022, 88 pp.
Examines a new method for measuring poverty in the United States,based on families’ spending and easily accessible resources, finds that about eight million more people lived in poverty in 2019 than reported by the government’s conventional income-based approach. more info >

How Poverty in the United States Is Measured and Why It Matters
Population Reference Bureau, January 2022, 10 pp.
The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked renewed interest in the social safety net and the government’s role in reducing poverty. How assistance is distributed depends partly on how poverty is measured. This report examines different poverty measures and their effects on eligibility and distribution of economic relief. more info >

Understanding Coping Strategies of Mothers with Low Income
Urban Institute, January 2022, 75 pp.
An exploratory study of the strategies that mothers with young children and few economic resources use to meet their caregiving and related needs. The report also examines the role of community-based organizations in supporting mothers and families and improving outcomes for children. more info >

Do Sectoral Training Programs Work? What the Evidence on Project Quest and Year Up Really Shows
Brookings Institution, January 2022, 8 pp.
This report examines evidence on the sector-based programs Project Quest and Year Up, concluding that they remain among the most successful education and training efforts available for US workers. more info >

The Connection Between Unpredictable Work Schedules and Meeting Basic Household Needs
Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin-Madison, November 2021, 6 pp.
Examines how the lack of a stable and predictable work schedule can lead to income volatility and contribute to a host of other challenges for low-income individuals and households. more info >

Developing Two-Generation Approaches in Communities
Annie E. Casey Foundationm Urban Institute, July 2021, 79 pp.
An evaluation of the Family-Centered Community Change initiative, designed to integrate two-generation strategies into existing place-based community initiatives. The effort, which ran from 2012 to 2019, focused on supporting local partners in three neighborhoods with low economic resources: Buffalo, New York; Columbus, Ohio; and San Antonio, Texas and found that these sites benefited from participating in the program. more info >

Chart Book: The Far-Reaching Benefits of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid Expansion
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, October 2020, 24 pp.
A growing body of research shows that Medicaid expansion is yielding significant benefits for those gaining coverage, their families, and their communities. This chart book highlights a number of the studies and outcomes. more info >

The Defining Down of Economic Deprivation: Why We Need to Reset the Poverty Line
Center for Economic and Policy Research, September 2020, 25 pp.
This report presents recommendations for improving the way poverty is measured while addressing why current measures are insufficient, particularly for households with children. It also makes recommendations to improve the relevance and accuracy of federal poverty measurement. more info >

Taking Action: Positioning Low-Income Workers to Succeed in a Changing Economy
Annie E. Casey Foundation, August 2019, 109 pp.
This report examines educational and employment disparities in the United States and highlights policies, programs and strategies designed to improve current and future work for lower-wage individuals and their families. more info >

Family Characteristics and Macroeconomic Factors in U.S. Intragenerational Family Income Mobility, 1978–2014
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, July 2019, 42 pp.
This paper examines patterns of intergenerational income mobility of U.S. families between 1978 and 2014, looking at factors such as levels of work behavior, family structure, and race and education attainment of family head head and spouse, and examining whether the importance of these factors has changed over time. more info >

The Poverty-Reducing Effect of Five Key Government Programs in Rural and Urban America
Carsey School of Public Policy, April 2019, 4 pp.
Poverty data from the American Community Survey were released on September 17, 2015, allowing a detailed examination of poverty in 2014 across the United States. This brief discusses changes in child poverty between 2013 and 2014 and since 2009, just after the Great Recession ended. more info >

Preparing the Future Workforce: Early Care and Education Participation among Children of Immigrants
The Urban Institute, March 2019, 38 pp.
Children of immigrants will make up a critical share of our nation’s future workforce but are less likely than other children to participate in early education programs known to support school readiness and long-term productivity. This study describes the characteristics and enrollment of children of immigrants in early education programs. more info >

Work, Skills, Community: Restoring Opportunity for the Middle Class
Brookings Institute, Opportunity American, November 2018, 136 pp.
Looks at the challenges facing working-class communities and provides bipartisan policy proposals designed to create jobs, train and retrain workers and revitalize blue-collar communities. more info >

Social Mobility in Rural America: Insights from Communities Whose Young People Are Climbing the Income Ladder
Bridgespan, National 4-H Council, November 2018, 44 pp.
This report focuses on 19 rural communities in four regions - the Texas Panhandle, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Nebraska - that rank higher than average in measures of youth economic advancement, identifying factors that seem to support economic mobility among youth. more info >

North Dakota Economic Development Strategic Plan: 2017-2025
North Dakota Economic Development Foundation, October 2018, 6 pp.
This is a strategic plan aimed at increasing economic growth in North Dakota. It provides an economic assessment of the state and examines individual business sectors and industries. more info >

The Economic Status of Women in the States
U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration, March 2018, 7 pp.
The Status of Women in the States provides data on women's progress in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States overall, measuring factors such as women's earnings, the gender wage gap, and women's labor force participation. more info >

Framework for Creating a Smart Growth Economic Development Strategy A Tool for Small Cities and Towns
United States Environmental Protection Agency, August 2016, 38 pp.
A step-by-step guide to building a place-based economic development strategy which is based on building upon existing assets, taking incremental actions to strengthen communities, and building long-term value to attract a range of investments. more info >

Building Assets Through Microenterprise
The Aspen Institute, January 2014, 12 pp.
Strategies being used by microenterprise development programs to help low-income families improve their financial footing, acquire assets and build wealth. more info >

Web sites

Advancing Mobility from Poverty: A Toolkit for Housing and Education Partnerships
This toolkit is intended as a resource to build and advance cross-sector partnerships to accelerate the achievement of shared outcomes related to housing, education, and economic stability for families. more info >

Jobs for the Future
Research on the educational and economic advancement of youth and adults. more info >

MDRC
A social policy research organization that works to improve the well-being of low-income people. Many reports are available on-line. more info >

Economic Policy Institute
Focuses on the economic condition of low- and middle-income Americans and their families. Includes issue guides on the following topics: living wage, minimum wage, poverty and family budgets, retirement security, Social Security, unemployment insurance, and welfare. more info >

Institute for Research on Poverty
Research on the causes and consequences of poverty and social inequality in the United States. more info >

National Center for Children in Poverty
Research on preventing child poverty and improving the lives of low-income families. Includes poverty statistics and information on child care, welfare reform, and more. more info >

Prosperity Now Scorecard
Ranks the 50 states and the District of Columbia on performance measures in the areas of Financial Security, Business Development, Homeownership, Health Care and Education. more info >

diversitydatakids.org
Presents measures of child wellbeing and policy analysis for states, counties, large cities, and metropolitan areas. more info >