PEW Reveals Racial Disparity In Households Affected By Recession

By Gabrielle Pfafflin

The PEW Research Center released a report Tuesday indicating a record high racial disparity among household wealths in the years surrounding the market crash in 2008.

The report calculated median household incomes, adjusted for inflation and household debt, in the years 2005 and 2009. Considering the adjusted wealth, it reported in the first line that, “the median wealth of white households is 20 times that of black households and 18 times that of Hispanic households.”

PEW claims that these wealth disparities are the highest on record since PEW began researching 25 years ago.

According to PEW, the recession hit minorities in the U.S especially hard. It indicates that from 2005 to 2009 the median wealth in hispanic households plummeted by 66%. The median wealth in black households fell 53%, while only falling 16% among white households.

Researchers speculated that the dramatic decrease in median incomes resulted directly from the housing bubble burst in 2006, a dramatic loss in home values, especially in minority communities, and a severe increase in personal debt. They also considered sociological finance trends.

According to the report, white households proportionally own more stocks, 401(k)s, and individual retirement accounts (IRAs), which regained lost wealth by mid to late 2009. Contrastingly, black and hispanic households proportionally retain wealth in property values that have yet to regain lost value.

It should be noted that wealth differs from income. Adjusted wealth amounts to the household debt like mortgages, loans, and credit card debt subtracted from household assets such as homes, cars, stocks, and savings. Adjusted household income measures the flow and influx of wages, interests, and profits. 

To read the full report click HERE

About TRNS Washington Desk

View all posts by TRNS Washington Desk
TRNS Washington Desk
The Talk Radio News Service is the only information network dedicated to serving the talk radio community. TRNS maintains a Washington office that includes White House, Capitol Hill and Pentagon staffed bureaus, and a New York office with a United Nations staffed bureau.

Apple CEO Defends Company’s Tax Record

Cook said that Apple Inc. has likely become the “country’s largest corporate income taxpayer.”

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Passes Bill To Arm Syrian Rebels

“The time to act and turn the tide against Assad is now,” Chairman Robert Menendez said.

WH Plotted With Treasury About How To Unveil IRS Report

The revelation came today courtesy of White House Press Secretary Jay Carney.

Coburn Backpedals On Oklahoma Disaster Relief Comment

The Republican Senator from Oklahoma issued a statement assuring victims in his state “that any and all available aid will be delivered without delay.”

Pentagon To Takeover Some Drone Operations

The official announcement could come as soon as Thursday, when the President is scheduled to address National Defense University in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Should Not Cut Off Foreign Aid, Says Albright

The U.S. has an important role in the Arab world, said Albright.