Oregon’s poverty rate declined and the income of the typical Oregon household jumped last year, but not enough to return
Poverty & Inequality
Poverty & Inequality
Latest Articles
“Welfare reform” turns 20 this month and that’s nothing to celebrate.
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
Holding a job is not enough to lift many Oregon families out of poverty, and the problem is getting worse,
For a growing number of Oregon families, holding down a job is not enough to lift them out of poverty.
More Oregonians are having a hard time putting food on the table. Among all states, Oregon recorded the second biggest
Despite half a decade of economic recovery, too many Oregonians still struggle to make ends meet.
A View of the State of Working Oregon For the typical Oregonian, economic progress is a distant memory. More than
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, a stirring call to end racial segregation, was also a
Latest Podcasts

“We’ve Been Very Foolish”: Inside Oregon’s Data Center Boom
Oregon is one of the nation’s top destinations for data centers, attracted by the state’s cheap power and favorable climate.
March 12, 2026

Oregon Child Care Crisis: How ERDC Running Out of Funds Could Hurt 12,000 Families
Oregon’s subsidized child care program, Employment Related Day Care (ERDC), is on course to run out of money in less
February 12, 2026

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
