PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Some of the city’s long-standing problems got worse over the last year, according to the State of the City report from the Pew Trusts’ Philadelphia Research Initiative. However, there are also some signs of resilience.
The 100-page report has dozens of data points about public safety, transportation, government, education and, of course, COVID-19.
Some of the findings concern issues that were overshadowed by the pandemic. For instance, drug overdose deaths were up again, to a near-record 1,200. And while the economic dislocation of the pandemic is clear, senior advisor Larry Eichel says Pew even more found troubling statistics.
Unemployment was up everywhere last year. The national rate was 8%, but Pew senior advisor Larry Eichel says Philadelphia’s went up to 12%.
"We’re used to Philadelphia having a higher rate of unemployment than the rest of the country, but in the last recession, the difference was 1 percentage point. Over the last 10 years it was 2%. Last year, it was 4%," Eichel said.
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And the burden is not shared equally.
"The median household income for Black Philadelphians was only 52% of that of white Philadelphians," Eichel said.
Similarly, the disparate effects of COVID-19 are seen in the finding that Black and Hispanic Philadelphians are more likely to know someone who has died of the virus.
Eichel says there were also hopeful signs. Most Philadelphians still feel good about their city. Two-thirds rated it a good or excellent place to live. And reinforcing that, developers secured a record number of residential building permits.
"It can certainly be seen as a vote of confidence by developers, at least, in the city as a place that’s going to be an attractive place to live," Eichel said.
And other trend lines are going in the right direction. High school graduation rates continued to improve. Children’s blood lead levels continue to decline, and days of unhealthy air were down to just five from 28 a decade ago.