Numbers released at the 4th Annual Economic Recovery & Job Creation Summit last month found that 3.2 million people were living in poverty in 2012, up from 1.9 million in 1990. At the summit — hosted by the Southern California Association of Governments and the Southern California Leadership Council — participants spoke passionately about the need for unprecedented collaboration at the federal, state and local levels around job creation, workforce development, project streamlining, tax credit incentives and eliminating non-performing programs — with the goal of restoring the American middle class.

A Sunday LA Times opinion piece (Jan. 5) on increasing the minimum wage in California ("How California can raise all boats") noted that the U.S. Census recently estimated that when both income and the cost of living are taken into account 24% of Californians live in poverty, the highest poverty rate of any state. Stanford University and the Public Policy Institute have concluded LA County has the state's highest poverty rate at 27%.

Read more on SCAG's new Regional Economic Strategy and Data website HERE.

Read the LA Times opinion piece HERE.