Oregon families that fall on hard times get far less cash assistance today than they did decades ago. Children in
Raising Incomes
Realizing our human potential depends on having the resources to meet our material needs. Raising the incomes of the lowest-paid workers not only increases economic opportunity but also makes for a more prosperous state.
Raising Incomes
Realizing our human potential depends on having the resources to meet our material needs. Raising the incomes of the lowest-paid workers not only increases economic opportunity but also makes for a more prosperous state.
Latest Articles
Some of Oregon’s poorest families with children are slated to be among the first victims of state budget cuts, should
Despite more than half a decade of economic growth, Oregonians were still more likely to live in poverty in 2015
Five years ago, protestors descended on Zuccotti Park near Wall Street, launching the Occupy movement.
Oregon’s poverty rate declined and the income of the typical Oregon household jumped last year, but not enough to return
“Welfare reform” turns 20 this month and that’s nothing to celebrate.
Confronting income inequality is perhaps the greatest challenge facing Oregon today.
Since 1980 and since the end of the Great Recession, income inequality has worsened, with the top 1 percent reaping
The economy has rarely been better, if you belong to Oregon’s richest of the rich. The latest figures show that
Today is Equal Pay Day. And today, Oregon women are still not getting equal pay for equal work.
Latest Podcasts

Underpaid, Overworked, and Essential: Oregon’s Long-Term Care Crisis
In this episode, we examine the crisis in Oregon’s system of long-term care. Demand for long-term care is rising as
January 8, 2026

Income Inequality in Oregon: What Does the Latest Data Show?
Income inequality in Oregon remains vast, but history shows this is not inevitable.
December 11, 2025

How Trump Is Hiding Hunger and Why Poverty Persists
This episode examines what the end of the federal food security report means for Oregon, as well as why poverty is a policy failure, not an individual failure.
November 13, 2025
