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Unemployment vs. Underemployment
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The official unemployment rate includes people without a job who are available to work and who have actually sought work in the past four weeks. Discouraged workers and under-employed part-time workers who want full employment are not included in this rate. For the first time, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is releasing "labor underutilization rates" by state that do include these populations.
Texas's 2009 official unemployment rate was 4.8%, but the broader under-employment rate was 9.1% according to the BLS. The monthly underemployment rates are published for the nation as a whole, but not by state. Learn more.
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Disappearing Jobs - a County by County Look |
Slate, the on-line magazine, has used U.S. Department of Labor local statistics to develop an interactive map that offers a graphic display of job gain and job loss in the United States by county over the past two years. View this map! |
| Let's Get to Work Forum
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Local elected officials, employers
and homeless prevention advocates will come together on May 21st from 8
a.m. to 2 p.m. to consider how our local community can learn from best practice
models in other communities to create pathways to employment for people who are
homeless. The forum will be held at
First Baptist Church, 901 Trinity Street.
The forum will explore how
federal stimulus funding can be used to supplement minimum wage jobs to provide
a "living wage" to program participants. The
forum is co-sponsored by ECHO, House the Homeless, Texas Homeless Network, and
Mobile Loaves & Fishes. For more
information, or to register, contact Jennifer Paulson at 512-482-8270, ext. 5,
or by email: jennifer@thn.org.
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| Recovery Act Webcasts |
Learn about and sign up for webcasts on a variety of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act initiatives.
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New Behavioral Health FAQ
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The Behavioral Health Planning Partnership in collaboration with Community Action Network has released a new Behavioral Health FAQ.
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Austin Foreclosures in 2008 |
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Housing and Case Management Reduce Hospital Visits
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A study found in today's Journal of the American Medical Association finds that people who are homeless and chronically ill are less likely to require hospitalization when they receive transitional housing and case management support for long-term housing and appropriate medical care, including substance abuse and mental health treatment.
Homeless adults, especially those with chronic medical illnesses, are frequent users of emergency department and hospital services. The study of 405 people who are homeless and who were treated at Stroger Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, was designed to test the effectiveness of case management and housing programs in reducing urgent medical services.
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Two New Reports on Health Care Quality
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today released two new HHS reports on the quality of health care in America and disparities in health care. In releasing the reports, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius noted that patient safety has declined in each of the past 6 years, due in part to healthcare-associated infections.
Sebelius announced that the HHS will make $50 million in grants funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act available to states to fight healthcare-associated infections.
Read the press release and find links to the two reports.
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Map of Stimulus Fund Opportunities and Resources for Nonprofits
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 The Foundation Center has created a resource map to help nonprofit organizations access stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The map offers a state-by-state guide to funding opportunities and other resources and information. MapShot: Best ARRA Funding Resources by State.
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ECHO Extends Deadline for IRT Applications
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The Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) seeks community volunteers to serve on the 2009 ECHO Independent Review Team (IRT). The team is composed of both institutional members and community members who are interested in homeless issues and willing to make a one year commitment. Committee members will review and rank the 2009 Continuum of Care (CoC) applications for 2010 funding to be submitted to the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and review progress for those programs that have just received funding from the 2008 CoC applications. The complete announcement and application can be accessed on the ECHO website at AustinECHO.org. Applications are due on or before May 10, 2009. |
Free Training for Parents of Special Needs Students
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The Austin School District's Office of Special Education, in collaboration with The Arc of the Capital Area and Austin Travis County Mental Health/Mental Retardation, will hold a parent training session Tuesday, May 12th. The Family Support Cooperative will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Rosedale School, located at 2117 W. 49th Street. Free childcare and pizza will be provided at 6:30 p.m. Spanish translators will also be available.
Topics to be covered in the sessions include autism, emotional/behavioral issues, Down Syndrome, sibling support, and transitions to adulthood. For more information, call Rosemary at 414-2049.
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| Wounded Spirits: Adolescent Girls in the Juvenile Justice System
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 YWCA's 2009 Hallmark Speaker Series will feature Bonita Veysey, director of the Center for Justice & Mental Health Research at Rutgers University. Girls in the juvenile justice system often have a history of physical and sexual abuse. Veysey will explore how violence in childhood impacts girls and will provide training for professionals on how to respond to girls with histories of abuse in age-appropriate and culturally sensitive ways. The forum will be held Friday, May 15th at the United Way Capital Area. There is a fee, and continuing education credits are available. Register on-line. |
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault - May Spotlight
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 Each week in Texas, two women are killed by their intimate partners. One in three women has been a victim of domestic violence. One Texas woman is raped every day. These sobering statistics are included in the "I Live Here, I Give Here" monthly Community Spotlight for May. Learn more and participate in a panel discussion about "Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault" on May 15th from 11 a.m. to noon at Ballet Austin. Read the article and RSVP for the luncheon. |
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Funders Forum: Embracing the New Realities of Philanthropy |
Some of Central Texas' most prominent philanthropists will participate in a full-day workshop on the current state of philanthropy in Texas on May 20th at St. David's Episcopal Church. Dr. Peter Frumkin of the RGK Center for Philanthropy will discuss the local state of philanthropy. Foundation representatives from RGK Foundation, Impact-Austin, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, KDK-Harman Foundation, Topfer Foundation and others will participate in four moderated panels throughout the day. Panelist will discuss and share information about the local economy and the effects of the growing recession on philanthropic endeavors. There is a fee for this workshop. Registration and more information can be found at the Association of Fundraising Professionals website. |
Tickets Available for the Forgione Follies
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 Students, local elected officials and other community leaders will pay tribute to Pat Forgione's decade of service as Austin ISD Superintendent at the "Forgione Follies" at the Long Center for Performing Arts on Wednesday, May 27th. Tickets are free but limited and available on a first come first serve basis. Reserve your tickets now.
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Cool Tools - Gapminder
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This week's "cool tool" is Gapminder.org which professes to 'unveil the beauty of statistics for a fact based world." This free tool allows the user to create bubble charts, similar to the unemployment map that Slate magazine created (see "Disappearing Jobs" article above). These visual bubble maps show change across time. The FAQ section gives step by step details on how to create your own Gapminder. |
 CAN Partners: Austin Area Human Services Association, Austin Area Interreligious Ministries, Austin Chamber, Austin Community College, Austin Independent School District, Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation Center, Capital Metro, City of Austin, Community Justice Council, Integrated Care Collaboration, Seton Family of Hospitals, St. David's Community Health Foundation, St. Edward's University, Travis County, Travis County Healthcare District, United Way Capital Area, University of Texas at Austin, and Workforce Solutions - Capital Area.
CAN Issue Area Groups: Aging Services Council, Austin/Travis County Victim Services Task Force, Basic Needs Coalition, Behavioral Health Planning Partnership, Central Texas After-School Network, Child & Youth Mental Health Planning Partnership, Developmental Disabilities Planning Partnership, Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, Success by 6, HousingWorks, Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, Ready by 21, Reentry Roundtable, and Regional Transit Coordination Committee. | |
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