New Report Explores Appalachia’s Current Strengths and Vulnerabilities

In 2018, roughly 10% of U.S. children ages 5 to 17 did not have a computer—desktop, laptop, or tablet—at home, and 23% did not have home access to paid high-speed internet. Fully one-fourth of all school-age children were lacking either a computer or high-speed internet.

Race may be a social construct but it’s one with consequences that may span generations. While both Black and white families can experience upward or downward wealth mobility from one generation to the next, studies show the dramatic socioeconomic disadvantages for Black families have persisted a…

The COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe in 2020 will have long-term and widespread effects on the U.S. economy and labor force. A PRB analysis finds that workers in one of the hardest-hit sectors—food preparation and server-related occupations—are among the most economically vulnerable.

The latest report on the Appalachian Region can help state and local policymakers build community capacity and strengthen economic growth.

The overall homeownership rate dropped two percentage points between 2000 and 2017. This decline can be explained in part by changes in the racial and ethnic composition of householders.

As sub-Saharan African countries strive to grow their economies, it is critical that they consider their age structures—or more particularly, the age structures of their richest and poorest populations, which are determined largely by fertility rates. Comparing these can unmask an imbalance that, if…

While  the  U.S.  economy  has  shown  signs  of  recovery  since  the  Great  Recession,  inequality  among  America’s  33  million  working  families  has  increased.  The  unemployment  rate  has  fallen  from  a  post-recession  high  of  9.6  percent  in  2010  to  4.4  percent  in  2017—the  l…

Across sub-Saharan Africa, national development strategies have established the goal of achieving economic growth that is both rapid and equitable across a population. Efforts to promote shared prosperity will be strengthened by demographic changes that facilitate greater investment in human capital…

Researchers from the Population and Poverty Research Network (PopPov) have developed a macroeconomic model that estimates the impact of fertility declines on economic growth. The model is especially useful in country-level policy planning.

With increased attention to women’s economic empowerment among donors and policymakers across the globe, we are at a pivotal moment for reviewing the current state of the research on women’s economic empowerment to identify gaps.

Declining mortality and fertility rates are transitioning Ethiopia toward an age structure that has the potential to provide significant economic benefit.

This policy report argues that integrating noncommunicable disease (NCD) services—particularly those targeted at prevention and early intervention—with other health services for young people can help tackle the growing NCD epidemic in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8 calls for full and productive employment and decent work for all. In our latest Population Bulletin, we explain how demographic trends will have a bearing on whether and how rapidly this and other SDG goals are achieved.

Appalachia’s unemployment and poverty rates remain above levels seen before the economic downturn of 2007-2009, suggesting an incomplete economic recovery, especially in many of the Region’s most rural counties, according to a new PRB report for the Appalachian Regional Commission.

This Today's Research on Aging (Issue 35)  finds that the social, economic, demographic, and physical characteristics of communities may influence older residents’ health and well-being.