Featured Indicators Data

According to the 2015 report from the Institute for Women's Policy Research, "Status of Women in the States," Arizona earns a C- grade for the composite index, comparing wages for men and women, and is also at the bottom end of a ranking of the states based the change in earnings since 1999. The percentage of women in the workforce stands at 48th in the nation with 54 percent in the labor force. However, the relative wage gap has us ranked at #17 among the states, which is a relatively good showing, albeit with much more work to be done to raise earnings statewide.

Text: A new study by a team of top economists reveals some harsh truths about income mobility in the U.S. One key finding is the role that location plays in the likelihood that a child will rise to a higher income level in adulthood. For metropolitan Phoenix, the chance that a child raised in the bottom fifth will attain top fifth status is 7.8%. These odds are slightly below a child raised in Denver, Las Vegas or Houston, and well below Los Angeles (9.6) and Salt Lake (11.5). The South is plagued with the worst income mobility, including major metros like Atlanta (4%).  Interestingly, location specific factors like tax credits for the poor, higher taxes for top earners, and the number of local colleges and their tuition rates had no major effect on income mobility. One factor that did matter was the degree to which poor families were distributed across mixed-income neighborhoods. Areas with better K-12 schools, higher civic engagement and more two-parent families also fared better. Overall, the study shows that income mobility falls short of the American Dream mantra and that where you grow up matters.