Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and the Economy
IWPR’s Program on Race, Ethnicity, Gender and the Economy conducts original research and policy analysis using intersectional and racial equity frameworks to better understand the experiences of women of color, their families and communities in the economy and society.
Breadwinner Mothers by Race/Ethnicity
The large majority of mothers in the United States are in the labor force making their economic contribution vital for their families’ economic security. One in two of the over 30 million families with children under 18 in the United States have a breadwinner mother, who is either a single mother, irrespective of earnings, or a married mother contributing at least 40 percent of the couple’s joint earnings;
Women of Color in Economics and Sociology: Poor Climate, Unequal Treatment, and Lack of Legitimacy
A recent survey by the American Economics’ Association (AEA), for example, revealed widespread gender and racial discrimination in the field, with nearly half of women reporting unequal treatment, including sexual harassment and failure to take their work seriously (American Economic Association 2019).
A Woman-Centered Economic Agenda: 8 Policies that Boost the Economy and Work for Everyone
This fact sheet outlines eight key policy priorities that are critical for increasing women’s economic opportunities and securing their futures.
The Shifting Supply and Demand of Care Work: The Growing Role of People of Color and Immigrants
As the Baby Boom generation matures and current unmet child care needs remain constant, the United States faces a burgeoning crisis in the demand for care workers. The market has slowly but surely begun to adapt, seeing an overall growth of 19 percent in the number of care workers between 2005 and 2015, with most of that growth in adult care. The U.S. Department of Labor suggests that this will only grow further, projecting that the economy will add more than 1.6 million jobs in occupations related to adult care by 2024 (Rolen 2017).
