In a major economic speech last week, President Obama put a renewed focus on the lack of social mobility in the U.S. and the dangers this poses to our economy. The President highlighted that the widening opportunity gap has made the American Dream unattainable for far too many.
Without doubt, Texas is doing great by its corporate citizens and their executive elite. Texas Brags, a website run by the office of Gov. Rick Perry, puts it with typical Texas swagger: “Texas is a land of ongoing success and endless opportunity.” But when it comes to the people of Texas vs. its companies, the promise of opportunity rings hollow for many.
Each week, Opportunity Nation shares key stories that explore opportunity-related issues in powerful, provocative ways. Many of these articles and op-eds include new data and research on key economic, educational, social and civic factors that affect upward mobility and community well-being.
With the release of "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" at the top of the box office this last weekend, poverty and inequality are made all too real through the movie screen. However, the fantasy land of Panem is not so far off from the landscape of America's current social and economic inequality.
At the Labor Department’s Job Corps program, we don’t have an equivalent acronym for disconnected youth. We call them our prospective students − and there are too many. A recent report from The Opportunity Nation cited 5.8 million Americans ages 16 to 24 as neither working nor in school.
If you don't know where you are going, any job will get you there. That's the underlying message these days in Florida. Much to the delight of the elected in Tallahassee, the state's unemployment rate continues to drop. That's thanks to more jobs, but also a worrisome trend of more people dropping out of the workforce.
Opportunity Nation is thrilled to welcome MDC to our coalition. After identifying leaders in the community, MDC works with them to create effective and sustainable programs for change.