deanrd
Gold Member
- May 8, 2017
- 29,411
- 3,644
- 290
- Banned
- #1
The Opportunity Index: Ranking Opportunity in Metropolitan America ā Third Way
To find job quality in each MSA, the Opportunity Index combines data from the Labor Departmentās Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) and a modified version of the Economic Policy Instituteās Family Budget Calculator to categorize each available job into one of four types:
1. Fewer than half of all jobs afford a middle class or better life.
Based on our model, only 38% of the jobs in the 204 most populous metro areas examined can be considered middle class or professional jobs. Within that share, 23% are middle class jobs and 15% are professional jobs. A stunningly high 30% of jobs in Americaās metros are hardship jobs, failing to provide a decent standard of living for a single adult living on their own. Another 32%, the largest share, are living-wage jobs, enough for a worker to get by but not enough to meet commonly held expectations for a middle class life.
2. Three out of the four closest battleground states that went for Trump struggled to provide opportunity. As a whole, the Midwest had mixed results. Some states performed well, but others, like Michigan and Pennsylvania that swung to Trump in 2016, did not.
3. Twelve of the bottom 20 MSAs for opportunity are in the South
The opportunity to earn a stable and secure life has been at the heart of the American Dream. However, technology and globalization have made opportunity more abundant for some and less abundant for many others. There is too little opportunity in America today and its dearth is undoubtedly related to the polarization and divisions apparent in the country.
---------------------
This is about a half hour read. Very interesting. They go through definitions and calculations and cover all methodology.
Kind of explains why Republicans are staying away from the economy they are trying to take credit for.
To find job quality in each MSA, the Opportunity Index combines data from the Labor Departmentās Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) and a modified version of the Economic Policy Instituteās Family Budget Calculator to categorize each available job into one of four types:
1. Fewer than half of all jobs afford a middle class or better life.
Based on our model, only 38% of the jobs in the 204 most populous metro areas examined can be considered middle class or professional jobs. Within that share, 23% are middle class jobs and 15% are professional jobs. A stunningly high 30% of jobs in Americaās metros are hardship jobs, failing to provide a decent standard of living for a single adult living on their own. Another 32%, the largest share, are living-wage jobs, enough for a worker to get by but not enough to meet commonly held expectations for a middle class life.
2. Three out of the four closest battleground states that went for Trump struggled to provide opportunity. As a whole, the Midwest had mixed results. Some states performed well, but others, like Michigan and Pennsylvania that swung to Trump in 2016, did not.
3. Twelve of the bottom 20 MSAs for opportunity are in the South
The opportunity to earn a stable and secure life has been at the heart of the American Dream. However, technology and globalization have made opportunity more abundant for some and less abundant for many others. There is too little opportunity in America today and its dearth is undoubtedly related to the polarization and divisions apparent in the country.
---------------------
This is about a half hour read. Very interesting. They go through definitions and calculations and cover all methodology.
Kind of explains why Republicans are staying away from the economy they are trying to take credit for.