As Disaster Costs Rise, So Does Inequality

Researchers examined how natural disasters and federal disaster aid impact wealth inequality between White and Black Americans. The authors combined county-level data on property damages from natural hazards with household survey data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics between 1999 and 2013. Their analysis shows that as natural disaster damages increase in a county, White residents tend to accumulate more wealth, while Black residents tend to lose wealth. Additionally, they found that higher amounts of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) aid to counties exacerbated rather than reduced this racial wealth gap, holding disaster costs constant.

Researchers examined how natural disasters and federal disaster aid impact wealth inequality between White and Black Americans. The authors combined county-lev...

This news article examines racial disparities in labor market outcomes using the January employment report as its primary data source. The report documents an overall unemployment rate of 4.3 percent and net job growth of 130,000, concentrated in health care and social assistance. The piece describes unemployment rates among Black workers specifically, reporting 7.2 percent in January compared to 7.5 percent in December, with disaggregated figures for Black men at 8.0 percent and a separate trend line for Black women. The analysis also addresses the exposure of Black workers to federal workforce reductions and situates these figures within broader patterns of wage growth and racial wealth disparities.

New Redfin Data Reveals a Widening Gap in Homeownership for Young Black Americans vs. White

Economic Policy Institute analysis reports Black women’s employment-to-population ratio fell 1.4 percentage points to 55.7% in 2025, one of the sharpest one-year declines in 25 years, with the largest drops among college graduates and public-sector workers; researchers note the months ahead may clarify whether losses reflect broader job cuts or anti-equity backlash.

Black women employment sees one of its sharpest annual declines in past 25 years

News article covering a National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) study of retirement savings adequacy among U.S. workers ages 21–64 using 2023 defined contribution (DC) plan data and Fidelity age-based savings benchmarks. Reports median and average DC balances by age, race/ethnicity, education, and gender, finding that no median subgroup meets its age-based savings target and highlighting disparities across Asian, white, Black, and Hispanic workers.

Session Expired

Your session expires in

Your session expires in

Create a free account

Summary

READ MORE

SUBMIT A RESOURCE