The CDC’s Theme on Socioeconomic Status is shown on the map above. It includes income, employment and level of education. Percent of households below poverty level, percent unemployed, income and percent without a high school diploma are combined to make a social vulnerability score for the Socioeconomic Status of the census tract. The colors on this map tell you where each census tract falls on the vulnerability scale when the income, employment and education are combined. Red is highest vulnerability. Yellow is high moderate vulnerability. Green is low moderate vulnerability. Blue is low vulnerability. Click on any icon to read the percentages in each category. The decimal number at the top of the box that appears when you click on an icon is a decimal number between 0 and 1. The larger that number is, the higher the vulnerability is in that census tract.

MHI Newtown Community Ambassador Joseph Mack presents survey data on Economic Stability

Raising Community Voice: Comments received on surveys and community dialogue

Community Voice Questionnaire

Economic Stability

2021

28% of respondents reported unmet needs in the past year. The most frequently reported unmet needs were: food, utilities and Medicine or any health care (medical, dental, mental, health or vision).

Difficulties finding a job were either not applicable to respondents (28%) or not stressful (36%) to a majority of respondents. Slightly over a third (35%) of respondents felt stress at some level about difficulty finding a job.

A combined 63% of respondents either stated that difficulties associated with keeping a job were not applicable to them or that difficulties keeping a job were not at all stressful. A combined 36% felt stress about keeping a job at some level.

Slightly less than a quarter of respondents (24%) reported they had less than a high school degree, 35% had a high schooll degree or GED equivalent and 39% had more than a high school education. 2% preferred not to answer the question.

24% of respondents were unemployed, 9% either worked part-time or had temporary work. 26% of respondents worked full time, while 37% reported being unemployed but not seeking works, such as students, retired or disabled people or unpaid primary caregivers. 4% preferred not to answer the question.

Although 73% were not worried about losing their housing, 20% of respondents were. 7% chose not to answer the question.

What is your current work situation?

Unemployed 24% 24%
Part-time or temporary work 9% 9%
Full-time work 26% 26%
Otherwise unemployed but not seeking work (ex. student, retired, unpaid primary care giver) 37% 37%
Prefer not to answer 4% 4%
Other 2% 2%

Stress is when someone feels tense, nervous, anxious, or can’t sleep at night because their mind is troubled. How stressful is this for your family: Difficulties finding a job?

0 – The issue is not applicable to my family 28% 28%
1 – not at all stressful 36% 36%
2 – a little stressful 10% 10%
3 – moderately stressful 8% 8%
4 – very stressful 13% 13%
5 – extremely stressful 4% 4%
N/A 2% 2%

Stress is when someone feels tense, nervous, anxious, or can’t sleep at night because their mind is troubled. How stressful is this for your family: Difficulties keeping a job?

0 – The issue is not applicable to my family. 30% 30%
1 – not at all stressful 33% 33%
2 – a little stressful 11% 11%
3 – moderately stressful 6% 6%
4 – very stressful 11% 11%
5 – extremely stressful 8% 8%
N/A 2% 2%

What is the highest level of school that you have finished?

Less than high school degree 24% 24%
High School Diploma or GED 35% 35%
More than high school 39% 39%
Prefer not to answer 3% 3%

Comments Residents Made About

Economic Stability

2021

Poor work ethic tends to be the reason for certain family members to maintain/gain employment. (Lives in E, Worships and Works in F)

Yes, no money. (Lives in E)

Fine (Lives in North Sarasota, Worships and Works in A)

Stressful and difficult finding job (Worships in D)

Help with bill assistance (Lives in North Sarasota, Worships in B)

Cost of housing and better assistance for those facing eviction (Lives in North Sarasota)

Social security needs to go up. (Lives and works in B, worships in F)

I feel stable. (Lives in E)

Improvement is needed; we need action, not just words. (Lives in A)

It’s hard to apply for jobs when you don’t know if they’ll hire [knowing about background, e.g., being a felon—when to ask, not ask] (Lives in E)

We need to stop having a mindset of being poor. (Lives in E, worships in B)

Any job I can find but dream job hard to get. Cost of fuel increase and utilities [FPL letter] increase—the government did not keep their promise. (Worships in B)

Disabled (Lives in E)

Cost of living constantly increasing, food, rent, gasoline, insurance, electric, etc. (Lives and worships in North Sarasota, works in B)

Due COVID, jobs are closing weeks at a time, so hopefully this passed (Lives in B, worships in E)

Unable to get it (Lives in E)

Should be better cause now it’s worse. It needs to change (Lives and worships in B)

Good-paying jobs are not in Sarasota; construction people are not hiring in Sarasota so have to go somewhere else. (Lives and worships in B, works in A)

People who quit do not want to work (Lives in A)

Day labor services: biased hiring and promotions, too much paperwork, service fees reduce earnings (Lives in E, works in North Sarasota)

Cannot take programs (not eligible) (Lives, worships and works in A)

Need more economic opportunities & job openings for young people (Lives and worships in North Sarasota)

Keep client happy in Newtown (Lives in B and worships in C)

Economic Stories

Community Leader Comments

During the recession, there is a whole group of people in the 30-50 yr age range without functional literacy skills. They can do well on the job, but when they are laid off, they barely have the skills to search for another job. They don’t have the skills they need to “sell themselves.” Getting back into the job market would address all other concerns.

Most people have not been affected economically by COVID. They already didn’t have jobs before the pandemic. They have fewer hours available now on the jobs they had.

A top priority is “self-sufficiency.” Newtown doesn’t have fresh fruit available daily, and there is a real question of how long the Black dollar stays in the community.

Website designed by Heron Bridge Education, LLC for Health Initiatives Foundation, Inc. (2020)