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High unemployment, as might be expected, shows up in many of the same tracts <br />that were high in poverty. However, the concentration is not nearly so sharp° <br />Of the 87 tracts or small cities with the highest unemployment, only 55 were in <br />the central cities° One reason the.correlation between poverty and income is <br />not closer is that in some of the highest poverty areas, unemployment is low <br />because people are simply not in the labor force. Besides those who have given <br />up looking for work, there are large numbers of nonworking female family heads. <br /> <br />THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL WILL ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS TO <br />MEET THE NEEDS OF THE POOR AND THE UNEMPLOYED BY IMPROVING THEIR ACCESS TO <br />JOBS° <br /> <br />Access in the above policy has two meanings--physical in terms of the work trip <br />and opportunitiesin terms of being able to obtain and keep the job. <br /> <br />With respect to transportation, there are a number of ways to approach the <br />roblem: 1) If low-skill jobs are available in the suburbs, then affordable <br />ousing for the poor should be there. The Council's housing program is already <br />pursuing this solution. 2) Since the poor are concentrated in the central <br />cities, then economic development that provides jobs that match skills or <br />provides training in the central cities is a second approach. 3) Affordable <br />transportation between work and home is a third approach if jobs and housing <br />cannot be brought closer together~ <br /> <br />On the opportunities side, the characteristics of the poor would suggest a need <br />for training and affordable day care. There are many programs already dealing <br />with training. However, given the number Ofofemale-headed households with <br />young children, no amount of training will help if affordable day care is not <br />available° Beyond the realm of economic policy there are some serious social <br />issues raised by the poverty statistics for both female-headed households and <br />minorities, as well as questions about the system designed to help. <br /> <br />The Metropolitan Council will consider the issues described above in future <br />reviews and studies related to economic development, transportation and <br />housing. <br /> <br />m <br />m <br />m <br />m <br />m <br />I <br />m <br /> <br /> <br />