Issue link: https://blog.providence.org/i/1367404
8 An Equity Profile of Orange County: Summary 150 percent of the federal poverty level) compared with all other groups. The working poverty rate for Latinos (11.7 percent) is about eight times as high as for whites (1.5 percent). In general, higher educational attainment results in higher wages and lower unemployment. However, among full-time wage and salary workers in Orange County, there are racial gaps in median hourly wages at all education levels, with whites earning substantially higher wages than all other groups. Among college graduates with a BA or higher, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders earn $3/hour less than their white counterparts while African Americans earn $9/hour less and Latinos earn $11/hour less. Across the board, women of color have the lowest median hourly wages. For example, college-educated women of color with a BA degree or higher earn $16 an hour less than their white male counterparts. Racial economic inequalities persist Examining data by race reveals dramatic countywide disparities. For example, the median hourly wage for whites was more than double that of Latinos in 2016 ($32.00 compared with $15.60). This wage gap between Latinos and whites is much larger in Orange County than on the national level. Whites make around nine dollars more per hour in Orange County when compared to the national median for whites, while Latinos make around the same amount as the national median for their ethnic group. People of color are also more likely to be struggling with poverty in the region. Nearly a fifth of the county's Native Americans (19.5 percent) and Latinos (18.7 percent) live below the poverty level—compared with less than a tenth of whites (7.3 percent). Latinos are much more likely to be working poor (i.e. working full-time with an income below Median hourly wages for Black and Latino workers have stagnated since 2000 Source: Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. Universe includes civilian noninstitutional full-time wage and salary workers ages 25 through 64. Note: Data for 2016 represent a 2012 through 2016 average. Median Hourly Wage by Race/Ethnicity, 2000 and 2016 (all figures in 2016 dollars) 2000 2016 $30.20 $24.20 $15.90 $24.20 $24.80 $32.00 $24.30 $15.60 $27.90 $27.00 White Black Latino Asian or Pacific Islander Mixed/other