A new United Way of Connecticut economic report shows the state’s median income is on the rise and poverty levels are decreasing.
Despite this growth, Stephanie Hoopes, author of the report, says recent census data find that many families still lack financial safety nets.
“The number of households who have some kind of cushion to draw on in an emergency is still low, and in surveys in the state, we see that that’s still a worry for many families,” Hoopes says.
The report also shows that income disparities are growing between black and white Connecticut residents. The difference between the median earnings of black and white workers increased from 38 percent in 2007 to 55 percent in 2014.