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4/5/2012 1 Economic Inequality, the Occupy Movement, & Public Health Brown Bag University March 19, 2012 Economic Inequality: A Growing Threat to Public Health
4/5/2012
1
Economic Inequality,
the Occupy Movement,
& Public Health
Brown Bag University
March 19, 2012
Economic Inequality:A Growing Threat to Public Health
4/5/2012
2
Bottom 20%
$15,300
Bottom 20%
$17,700
Top 1%
$346,600
Top 1%
$1,319,700
$0
$200,000
$400,000
$600,000
$800,000
$1,000,000
$1,200,000
$1,400,000
1979 2007
Av
era
ge
Aft
er-
Tax
In
com
e(i
n 2
00
7 d
olla
rs)
23X
75X
The income gap between the bottom 20% and the top 1 % has more
than tripled over the past four decades.
Widening Income Gap in U.S.
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Top 1%
Bottom 90%
25%
36%
Percentage of
Total Wealth in U.S.
Extreme Concentration of Wealth
In 2009, the top 1% of households owned a larger share
of total wealth than the bottom 90% combined.
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In 2005, for every $1 dollar of wealth owned by the typical White family,
the typical Latino family had 14¢ and the typical Black family had 9¢.
Growing Racial Divide in Wealth
Median net worth
by race in 2005
BlacksLatinosWhites
BlacksLatinosWhites
Median net worth
by race in 2009
Racial gaps in wealth have soared to record highs in 2009.
In 2009, for every $1 dollar of wealth owned by the typical White family,
the typical Latino family had 6¢ and the typical Black family had 5¢.
Total loss of wealth for people of color
due to subprime loans taken from 2000 to 2008
is estimated at between $164 billion and $213 billion –
which can be considered the greatest loss of wealth
for people of color in modern U.S. history.
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Wealth = Health
1. Resources that enable good health 2. Chances of living in a neighborhood
that promotes good vs. ill health
3. Daily and chronic stress 4. Social inclusion and political power
Individual income and wealth matter for health.
Where You Live Affects Your
Health
Communities of Opportunity
Good Health
Status
• Parks
• Safe/Walkable Streets
• Grocery Stores and Healthy Foods
• Good Schools
• Clean Air
• Quality Housing
• Public Transportation
• Good Jobs
• Strong Local Businesses
• Financial Institutions
• Limited/Unsafe Parks
• Crime
• Fast Food Restaurants
• Liquor Stores
• Poor Performing Schools
• Pollution and Toxic Exposures
• Limited Public Transportation
• Absence of High Quality Financial Institutions
• Predatory Lenders
Disinvested Communities
Poor Health
Status
Neighborhood wealth matters for health.
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82
79
77 76
65
70
75
80
85
<10% 10-19.9% 20-29.9% 30+%
Life
Ex
pe
cta
ncy
at
Bir
th
(in
ye
ars
)
Neighborhood Poverty Group (% of residents living in poverty)
Life Expectancy at Birth by Neighborhood Poverty,
Alameda County
$$$$$$ $
In Alameda County, there is a strong social gradient in
health based on neighborhood poverty levels.
Proportion of Residents Living
in High-Poverty Neighborhoods by Race, Alameda County
����� �����
1 in 10 White residents live in high-poverty neighborhoods, compared to:
����� ��
1 in 7 Asians
����
1 in 4 Hispanics
���
1 in 3 African Americans
The concentration of people of color in high-poverty neighborhoods
is a major driver of disparate health outcomes by race.
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60
65
70
75
80
85
19
60
19
65
19
70
19
75
19
80
19
85
19
90
19
95
20
00
20
05
Life
Ex
pe
cta
ncy
at
Bir
th
(in
Ye
ars
)
African American
White
Historical Life Expectancy at Birth by Race,
1960-2009, Alameda County
The gap in life expectancy between African Americans
and Whites in Alameda County has widened.
20
09
4 years
6.5 years
Economic inequality matters for everybody’s health
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To Learn More
1. Go to http://www.acphd.org/ and click on “Economic Inequality”
2. Read article by Michael O’Donnell from the March/April 2012 issue of
American Journal of Health Promotion
3. Consider attending the April 4 Teach-in organized by UC Berkeley Labor Center
