FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

• Mazher Ali: 617-423-2148 x101, [email protected]
• Jeannette Huezo (habla español): 617-423-2148 x132, [email protected]

Report on Racial Economic Inequality Now Available in Spanish

Updated Unemployment Data Shows Racial Inequality Worse in Many States

Boston, MA, March 10, 2010 – United for a Fair Economy today announced that its annual report on racial economic inequality is now available in Spanish. The report, State of the Dream 2010: Drained – Jobless and Foreclosed in Communities of Color examines racial economic disparities in a range of areas including foreclosures, poverty, income and wealth.

Newly updated data in the report shows that people of color are experiencing a disproportionate share of the layoffs and foreclosures amidst the current recession, deepening inequalities that existed prior to the recession. The updated report found that Wisconsin and Minnesota had an unemployment rate for Blacks was at least three times that of whites. In another 13 states, the unemployment rate for Blacks was at least twice as high as that of whites. Among Latinos, the widest disparity was in Minnesota, with Wisconsin and Pennsylvania joining as having a disparity at least twice as high as whites.

"Unemployment statistics continue to indicate that broad-based economic recovery policies just aren't reaching those who need it most, including people of color," said Brian Miller, Executive Director of UFE and a co-author of the report. "Our report contains ample evidence to conclude that without targeted policies we will never reduce the wide gaps of income and wealth between races."

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) earlier this year expressed their desire to rebuild broken Latino communities. "As our nation recovers from the worst downturn since the Great Depression, Latino families are being forced to make tough choices," acknowledged CHC chairwoman Nydia Velasquez. "[W]e are committed to working with President Obama and our colleagues in Congress to ease the burden on the working class, and lay a new foundation for growth and prosperity."

"Latinos and Blacks are earning on average 68¢ and 62¢ for every dollar earned by white workers," notes co-author of the report, Jeannette Huezo. "When the bills are paid, Latinos only have 12¢ and Blacks only have a 10¢ for every dollar of white wealth. It's like being on an economic treadmill – without a targeted recovery strategy, they'll never catch up, and more will continue to fall off completely."

The full report is available in English at FairEconomy.org/Dream and in Spanish at EconomiaJusta.org.

United for a Fair Economy is a national, non-profit, non-partisan organization working to build a multi-race, multi-ethnic, and multi-class movement to reduce economic inequality.