Uncovering economic inequality
The wealth gap between Black and white Americans is wider today than when civil rights legislation was passed in the 1960s, one glaring indicator of a society in which economic inequality in this country is tipping toward crisis. Public Integrity’s reporting confronts the discriminatory systems that have overlapped and compounded to redistribute wealth to the rich through the rules of work, access to credit, home ownership and entrepreneurship, state and federal tax policy and government subsidies.
BY THE NUMBERS
18%
Share of income Washington state’s poorest contribute to state and local taxes, compared with 3% for the wealthy
$840,000
How much more in net worth the average white family had in 2019 compared with the average Black family
1 in 4
Among employers repeatedly cited for wage theft, the share the federal government ultimately fined from 2005 to 2020
IN-DEPTH investigations
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We made public a dataset showing employers the federal government investigated for wrongfully underpaying workers.
We wanted to see how discrimination shaped one city. Here’s how you can get answers about your own community.
What are your rights as a homeless student?
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VIDEO
All but a handful of states make poor residents contribute a greater share of their income to taxes than wealthy people do, making inequality worse instead of better. Read more…
MORE ON ECONOMIC WELL-BEING
Tribes need tax revenue. States keep taking it.
Forcing more people to work for food stamps is harmful
This D.C. housing program is a ‘top priority.’ Why do repairs take years?
If you’re Black, saying ‘I do’ can increase your taxes
Pondering state reparations for tribes, a council documents history of harms
How U.S. policy drives child migrants into dangerous jobs
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OUR IMPACT
New DHS policy protects undocumented whistleblowers
Undocumented immigrants enduring abuses from employers such as wage theft, safety infractions and gender discrimination can now obtain deportation relief when they report workplace violations to a government agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently announced.…
Keep readingFunding decisions often shortchange homeless students
Federal funding to support homeless students often comes up short. Before the pandemic, it amounted to about $60 annually per identified homeless student nationwide, according to a Center for Public Integrity investigation in partnership with The Seattle Times, Street Sense…
Keep readingPublic Integrity podcast nominated for a Peabody Award
A Center for Public Integrity podcast about one woman’s quest to chip away at an enduring American injustice has been nominated for a Peabody Award. “The Wealth Vortex” season of The Heist podcast, in partnership with Transmitter Media, is among 60 nominees selected from nearly 1,300…
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