From Papathways.org:

2008 Self-Sufficiency Standard for Pennsylvania Released From food to transportation, it has become harder than ever to budget for basic needs as costs increase, according to the latest edition of the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Pennsylvania 2008 released in Harrisburg on Wednesday, June 18th, 2008. The report defines a county-specific self-sufficiency wage, which is the income at which a family can cover its costs without choosing between basic necessities such as childcare versus nutritional food, adequate housing versus healthcare, and is on the road to economic independence. As a measure, the Standard provides a more accurate picture than do federal poverty guidelines on the economic needs of working families.

For the first time in publishing the Standard, PathWaysPA has partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry to produce this Standard. The United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania has also provided funding and support on this publication. The 6th edition of the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Pennsylvania 2008 was developed by Diana M. Pearce, Ph.D., director for the Center for Women’s Welfare, University of Washington School of Social Work. It was prepared by university staff along with Carol Goertzel and Marianne Bellesorte of PathWaysPA.

The Self-Sufficency Standard for
Pennsylvania 2008

                                            

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The goal of PittsburghToday.org "is to spark a more informed civic discourse about the future course of the Pittsburgh region. By painting an accurate statistical picture of life here, we hope to stimulate a discussion of where we are, and where we hope to go." The goal is to provide key indicators for benchmarking the region. Interestingly, the region includes much more than the city of Pittsburgh (e.g., parts of Ohio) in recognition of the actual structure of the regional economy.

The Big Box Evaluator tool, designed to help communities and individuals learn about the impacts of big box retail stores.  The unbiased tool is designed not to take a stand on big box development, but to help citizens make informed decisions based on each community’s specific characteristics and values.

Available free to the public at www.bigboxevaluator.org, the web-based interface allows users to learn about commercial and retail development in general, but also to input specific information from their communities and receive customized reports on economics, values, planning and municpal services, and ways to improve the development process.

The population of Pennsylvania in 2005 was 12,405,348. Its rank was 6th in the nation.

PER CAPITA PERSONAL INCOME

In 2005 Pennsylvania had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $34,937. This PCPI ranked 18th in the United States and was 101 percent of the national average, $34,471. The 2005 PCPI reflected an increase of 4.6 percent from 2004. The 2004-2005 national change was 4.2 percent. In 1995 the PCPI of Pennsylvania was $23,262 and ranked 18th in the United States. The 1995-2005 average annual growth rate of PCPI was 4.2 percent. The average annual growth rate for the nation was 4.1 percent.

TOTAL PERSONAL INCOME

In 2005 Pennsylvania had a total personal income (TPI) of $433,400,252*. This TPI ranked 6th in the United States. In 1995 the TPI of Pennsylvania was $283,764,332* and ranked 6th in the United States. The 2005 TPI reflected an increase of 4.8 percent from 2004. The 2004-2005 national change was 5.2 percent. The 1995-2005 average annual growth rate of TPI was 4.3 percent. The average annual growth rate for the nation was 5.2 percent.

COMPONENTS OF TOTAL PERSONAL INCOME

Total personal income includes net earnings by place of residence; dividends, interest, and rent; and total personal current transfer receipts received by the residents of Pennsylvania. In 2005 net earnings accounted for 67.0 percent of TPI (compared with 65.0 in 1995); dividends, interest, and rent were 15.0 percent (compared with 18.2 in 1995); and personal current transfer receipts were 18.0 percent (compared with 16.8 in 1995). From 2004 to 2005 net earnings increased 4.5 percent; dividends, interest, and rent increased 3.6 percent; and personal current transfer receipts increased 7.0 percent. From 1995 to 2005 net earnings increased on average 4.6 percent each year; dividends, interest, and rent increased on average 2.3 percent; and personal current transfer receipts increased on average 5.1 percent.

EARNINGS BY PLACE OF WORK

Earnings of persons employed in Pennsylvania increased from $309,359,060* in 2004 to $323,799,141* in 2005, an increase of 4.7 percent. The 2004-2005 national change was 5.6 percent. The average annual growth rate from the 1995 estimate of $208,050,514* to the 2005 estimate was 4.5 percent. The average annual growth rate for the nation was 5.5 percent.

*Note: All income estimates with the exception of PCPI are in thousands of dollars, not adjusted for inflation.