Dec 07 Watch Philadelphia Adjusts as Manufacturing Fades In part one of the Patchwork Nation series examining communities across the U.S., Ray Suarez looks at Philadelphia's shift from a city of skilled blue-collar workers to one where just 1 in 20 workers makes things for a living. Continue watching
Dec 03 A Closer Look at Our Patchwork Nation By Ray Suarez An old Bob Marley song includes the lyric, “Remember that when the rain falls, it don’t fall on one man’s house.” The worst recession since the Great Depression has hit millions of Americans in expected and unexpected ways. The pain… Continue reading
Oct 14 Is The Health Care Debate About Reform or Obama? By Anna Shoup A look at health care reform through Patchwork Nation shows that support for reform is still below 50 percent in 10 of 12 of the project's community types. And support may be just as much about the details of the… Continue reading
Sep 23 Dip in Home Prices Could Stunt Consumer Spending By Anna Shoup A look at home prices over the course of a year in Patchwork Nation's community types found that many home owners saw the value of their large lifetime investment fall, a troubling sign for the economy as a whole. Continue reading
Sep 16 Hard Times Leveling Off In Patchwork Nation By Anna Shoup As economists and politicians point to a possible economic turnaround, Patchwork Nation's September Hardship Index found that troublesome economic indicators are starting to level off, as they did in August, yet times are still getting tougher in some places. Continue reading
Jul 22 Bumping Along the Economic Bottom By Anna Shoup Patchwork Nation's Hardship Index -- a short-term barometer of how communities are faring each month -- rose in July, indicating that the country's not out of the downturn quite yet. Continue reading
Jul 08 Foreclosures in Wealthier Monied ‘Burbs May Signal Trouble Ahead By Anna Shoup As economists search for signs that the recession is abating, a look at the breakdown of foreclosures in Patchwork Nation's community types finds that a new wave may be impacting the U.S. differently and could stall recovery. Continue reading
Jul 02 Disparities in Unemployment Remain Across Patchwork Nation By Dante Chinni, Anna Shoup As national unemployment numbers for continue to rise, a look at unemployment through Patchwork Nation's community types offer some explanation of why some areas have experienced greater job loss than others. Continue reading
Jun 27 Barcalounger Closure Marks Continued Manufacturing Decline in Edgecombe County By Rob Holliday, UNC-TV This is a tough week for the people of Edgecombe County, about 80 minutes east of Raleigh. Friday, June 26th, is the last day of operations for the Barcalounger factory in Rocky Mount. Continue reading
Jun 24 Wealthier Areas of U.S. Experience Largest Rise in Uninsured Rates By Dante Chinni By the measure of our 12 Patchwork Nation communities, the places experiencing some of those increases are a surprise - and perhaps add fuel to the fire for change. Continue reading