RELEASE: GBPI Examines the Current State of Economic Security for Black Women and Latinas in Post-Pandemic Georgia
ATLANTA, GEORGIA — Today, the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute released a blog titled ‘Surviving not Thriving: Post-Pandemic Economic Security for Black Women and Latinas in Georgia.’ In this analysis, we examine the shortcomings of Georgia policies in supporting the current economic needs of Black women and Latinas as the pandemic Public Health Emergency and federal provisions end. Although the threat of COVID-19 is waning, disparate impacts for women of color persist. Black Women and Latinas faced disproportionate job losses and experienced the slowest recovery during the pandemic and ensuing recession.
“As the Public Health Emergency and pandemic provisions expire, Georgians are forced to rely on a tattered state safety net while government leaders sit on a piggy bank of cash that could help fill holes once plugged by federal supports,” said GBPI Senior Vice President Dominique Derbigny Sims. “Georgia’s leaders must enact legislation to strengthen economic security for households and prevent future disparate harms in advance of the next economic downturn.”
To advance economic justice, policies must support women—particularly Black women and Latinas—at every stage of their lives and no matter their roles in our economy while eradicating barriers that exacerbate injustices for women of color in Georgia.
When policies better support Black women and Latinas, we will all benefit. GBPI recommends that lawmakers take the following steps to increase economic security and well-being for all Georgians:
- Raise the state minimum wage and ensure equal pay.
- Strengthen the safety net by funding the UI trust and raising the TANF benefit amount.
- Enact a refundable state Earned Income Tax Credit, also known as a Georgia Work Credit.
- Provide paid family and medical leave for all workers.
- Provide funding for need-based aid for higher education.
You can read the full blog here
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The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) strives to be an anti-racist research and advocacy organization that advances lasting solutions to expand economic opportunity and well-being for all Georgians. We examine the state’s budget, taxes and public policies to provide thoughtful analysis and responsible solutions that address inequities in our state. We educate the public about complex issues confronting Georgia. We activate Georgians to call for policy solutions that put people first. We aim to inspire informed debate and decision-making, advancing our vision of a fair and inclusive Georgia where everyone can prosper.
