In Nebraska, about 61% of all racial and ethnic minorities are working families living under 200% of the federal poverty level.
That’s according to a report recently released by the Working Poor Families Project.
James Goddard, Director of Economic Justice and Health Care Access at Nebraska Appleseed, says the report shows there is a large economic divide among Americans based on race and ethnicity.
He says this is an issue all over the United States because minorities are more likely to work lower wage jobs and have less access to education and health care.
"Many minorities end up without as much education in many instances and end up with these lower wage jobs. It’s really hard to get by even if you’re working one or two jobs if you’re working a low quality job. A lot of folks are starting off in a difficult place without access to education to get the skills necessary to get a better paying job in the first place.”
Goddard says some policy initiatives that could help the issue include: investing in adult basic education, expanding childcare assistance and encouraging employers to provide paid sick leave for all workers.