New interactive data tools make visible what many workers in our region already know from experience: the jobs where people of color are concentrated are, overwhelmingly, the jobs that don't pay enough to cover basic needs. The University of Washington's Center for Women's Welfare—whose research the WDC has long supported—has released a new set of interactive dashboards examining occupational segregation in Washington State.

More than one-fourth of Washington's working-age households struggle to meet their basic needs, according to a report released September 26th, 2023 by the University of Washington Center for Women's Welfare. The report shows that an alarming 28% of working-age households struggle to meet their basic needs, a significant rise from 22% in 2019, showing the profound economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The problem, though pervasive across the state, is most pronounced in eastern Washington and the Olympic Peninsula, with some counties reporting 40% of households battling to cover basic needs.