Do I have something in my teeth?

How are we doing in How are we doing in Arkansas?Arkansas?

Barriers for Arkansans

Poverty: Poor Working Families and our children Health Care

Housing, Transportation, & Child Care Costs Educational Attainment

Employment Needs Investment in Post-Secondary Education

Arkansans Facing PovertyArkansans Facing Poverty

550,000 Arkansans are poor21% of the state versus 14.3% U.S.

Average poverty threshold for family of four in Arkansas - $22,050

Under 18 years of age – Arkansas Poverty rate is 29% versus 27% in U.S.

– In Female Headed Homes – poverty rate in Arkansas Jumps to 53.27%

– Source: U.S. Census Data– http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparebar.jsp?ind=11&cat=1

A Thought to Ponder todayA Thought to Ponder today

“87,000 people in Northwest Arkansas sought emergency food assistance this year” Arkansas Hunger Alliance –

More Information go to http://www.arhungeralliance.org

Barriers Facing Arkansas’ Barriers Facing Arkansas’ Working FamiliesWorking Families

Arkansas Ranks 49th in Asset Poverty

22 % of Arkansans have a net worth

of zero or less

Source: (Arkansas Assets Coalition)

Asset Poverty Rates by Race in the United States African American 43.2% Hispanic 39.0% Native American 34.5% Asian 23.1% White 16.6%

Source: Corporation for Enterprise Development (www.cfed.org), 2007 – 2008 Assets and Opportunity Scorecard, analysis based on U.S. Census Data (2004). 

Percent of working families below Percent of working families below 200% of poverty level200% of poverty level

37.6%

Arkansas Children in PovertyArkansas Children in Poverty

A child is born into poverty every 59 minutes

A child in Arkansas dies before his/her birthday every day

Source: Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families

Good Faith FundAnd Final Report Arkansas Legislative Taskforce on Poverty

What a year in poverty will What a year in poverty will cost.cost.

Every year spent as a child in poverty will cost an estimated $11,800 in lost future productivity in

his/her adult life

Source: Children’s Defense FundSource: Children’s Defense Fund

Bad News and Good NewsBad News and Good News

Children at or below 200% of poverty

47.6 percent Children at or below 200% of Poverty without

insurance 5.2 Percent

Overall percent of children without health insurance 11.6%

Barriers to Health Care

34% of Arkansans under the age of 65 are without Health Insurance

Percent of Poor Families with at least one Parent without Health Insurance in Arkansas is 52.6%

Source: Source: Arkansas Advocates for Children and FamiliesArkansas Advocates for Children and Families

Good Faith FundGood Faith Fund

Barriers to Moving Up and Barriers to Moving Up and Out for Poor ArkansansOut for Poor Arkansans

17% of workers in Arkansas are without Health Coverage

Note: Many states cover adults with incomes up to 200% above poverty under Medicaid

Working FamiliesWorking Families

Median household incomes declined 1.5 percent in the Southern United States. The South continues to have the lowest median household income of all four regions.

Affordable HousingAffordable Housing

3 out of 4 Poor Families in Arkansas pay more than 1/3 of their income on housing

Source: Good Faith Fund

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/avg-house-avg-income.png

Final report of the Ark. Leg. Taskforce on Poverty – Final report of the Ark. Leg. Taskforce on Poverty – 2010 – “More Barriers for Arkansans”2010 – “More Barriers for Arkansans”

Transportation - in rural areas of Arkansas job supports are often many miles from home and require dependable transportation

Geographic Location - In L.R. a single parent with 2 kids would have to earn $16.58 to meet basic needs In rural Arkansas – it would be $14.53

Child Care - note: in October of 2010 there were 12,000 low income children on the waiting list for child care vouchers

Stress - a shortage of mental health and substance abuse programs land a disproportionate number of Arkansans in prison for non-violent

crimes

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Barriers to Employment

TransportationChild CareStressEducation

Source: Arkansas Advocates for Children and FamiliesSource: Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families

ContinuedContinued

Family Structure - children in single parent families are 8 times more likely to live in

chronic poverty – 2/3 of children in poverty live in single parent households

Education - 56 percent of all adults in 2 year institutions require remediation

Policies that allow families to accumulate assets.

Education and Chances of Living In Education and Chances of Living In Poverty – Arkansas vs. U.S. Poverty – Arkansas vs. U.S.

Approximately 29.3% of those without High School live in poverty – U.S. 25.7%

Approximately 14.2% with High School -- U.S. 12.5%

Approximately 11.6% with some college -- U.S. 9%

A dramatic 4.1% for those with Bachelors’ Degree or more – U.S. 3.9%

New Rates of High school drop outs in Arkansas -- 28%

Whites -- 25%African American - 36%Hispanic - 40%Native American - 50% Source: www.all4ed.org/files/Arkansas_wc.pdf -

Changing Our FutureChanging Our Future

Investing in Post-Secondary Education

What are the needs?

What can we expect in return?

36% of Arkansans have high school diploma/GED

Arkansas’s economic health is directly related to the Arkansas’s economic health is directly related to the educational attainment of its citizens.educational attainment of its citizens.

19 % of Arkansans have less than a 19 % of Arkansans have less than a high school diploma/GEDhigh school diploma/GED

55% of Arkansans have high 55% of Arkansans have high school or lessschool or less

Source: Census 2000 Supplementary DataSource: Census 2000 Supplementary Data

Post Secondary Post Secondary Educational AttainmentEducational Attainment

18% of Arkansans have a Bachelor’s Degree or More -- compared to US. 27%

Arkansas ranks 49th among the 50 states in the number of adults with at least a Baccalaureate degree

Source: Arkansas Legislative Taskforce on Reducing Poverty – Final Report -- 2010

5% of Arkansans have an 5% of Arkansans have an Associate’s Associate’s Degree Degree

Difference in Median Annual Earnings Difference in Median Annual Earnings Between College Graduates and High School Between College Graduates and High School

GraduatesGraduates

$0$2,000$4,000$6,000$8,000

$10,000$12,000$14,000$16,000

AssociateversusHigh

School

Bachelor'sDegreeversusHigh

School

Arkansas

US Average

Source: U.S. Census 2000

Weekly Earnings and Unemployment by Education

$0$200$400$600$800

$1,000$1,200$1,400$1,600

<HS HS AA BADeg

MADeg

ProfDeg

PHd

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

Weekly Earnings Unemployment

IndustryIndustry

The Payoff for Arkansas Employers…

Why it Matters whether Arkansans move out of Poverty….

Arkansas needs an educated workforce

Challenges for Arkansas Investment Challenges for Arkansas Investment in Post-Secondary Educationin Post-Secondary Education

“There is an alarming disconnect between the increasing demand for a skilled well-

educated workforce, and the inadequate skills and education of the nation’s low-

wage workforce.”

Source: Working Hard, Falling Short – National Report

Today’s graduates need more knowledge and skills 

Highly Paid Professional Jobs Earnings: $40,000+  Projected Job Growth Rate: 20% 

Well-Paid, Skilled Jobs Earnings: $25,000–$40,000  Projected Job Growth Rate: 12% 

Low-Paid or Low-Skilled Jobs Earnings: Less than $25,000 Projected Job Growth Rate: 15%

Source: Achieve, Inc.  

Future Employment Needs Future Employment Needs

Almost One-Third of New Jobs in Arkansas

will require Post-Secondary Education

Employment Projections 2002-2012Employment Projections 2002-2012Source: Department of LaborSource: Department of Labor

Require HighSchool or Onthe JobTrainingRequire Post-SecondaryTraining orDegree

32%32%68%68%

PostSecondaryVocationalAssociate'sDegree

Bachelor'sDegree

Bachelor’s Degree Or More 71%

Post Secondary/Vocational12%

17%Associate’s Degree

Post Secondary Job Requirements Post Secondary Job Requirements Are we Prepared?Are we Prepared?