web1_110025814-dedf19c4a38c4c5a8d54143d9550ba77.jpg

Trump goes ‘presidential’ in speech; Cruz picks early veep

web1_DEM-2016-Sanders_Sopr-3-.jpg

Sanders campaign laying off ‘hundreds’ of staffers as end of nominating calendar nears

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The region&#8217;s population is changing in more ways than one and data presented at a Pennsylvania Economy League luncheon Wednesday painted an unflattering picture of Northeastern Pennsylvania.</p><p>John Maurer, of the Penn State Data Center, compared Lackawanna and Luzerne counties against the state to point out the disparities in areas such as poverty, median income and the number of people on food stamps.</p><p>Luzerne County showed a 27.3-percent increase in the number of people living in poverty between 2005 and 2014, Maurer told the audience of approximately 40 people at the Best Western Genetti Hotel &amp; Conference Center.</p><p>Maurer used the reference points of 2005 to 2009 and 201o to 2014 for comparisons of data from the American Community Survey that looks at a host of socio-economic information gathered annually by the U.S. Census Bureau.</p><p>At the state level, the number of people living in poverty increased 11.6 percent, over that same period. The federal poverty level for a family of four in 2014 was an annual income of $23,850.</p><p>Lackawanna County had a 6-percent increase. Drilling down deeper, Wilkes-Barre had a 22.3-percent increase, Scranton 15.1 percent and Hazleton 59.4 percent.</p><p>The percentages changed at 150-percent of the poverty level or $35,775 annual income for a family of four.</p><p>Scranton registered a 22.5-percent increase, Wilkes-Barre 15.9 percent and Hazleton 54 percent.</p><p>Maurer added another detail by translating the percentage increase into people.</p><p>&#8220;When you&#8217;re talking about a 22-percent increase in Scranton, you&#8217;re really talking about an additional 4,600 people being added in that 150-percent poverty (group),&#8221; he said.</p><p>In Wilkes-Barre, it translated into 2,166 people, and 3,669 in Hazleton.</p><p>Other data points for the 2005 through 2014 time period presented during the program included:</p><p>&#8226; Pennsylvania media household income, $53,115, a decrease of $1,765 or 3.2 percent.</p><p>&#8226; Lackawanna County median household income, $46,056, a decrease of $1,171 or 2.5 percent.</p><p>&#8226; Luzerne County median household income, $45,118, a decrease of $1,037 or 2.2 percent.</p><p>&#8226; Pennsylvania households receiving food stamps, 619,281, an increase of 216,601 or 53.8 percent.</p><p>&#8226; Lackawanna County households receiving food stamps, 11,497, an increase of 3,535 or 44.4 percent.</p><p>&#8226; Luzerne County households receiving food stamps, 20,727, an increase of 8,013 or 63 percent.</p><p>Maurer projected the state would see a population increase of 4.7 percent to 14.1 million in 2040 from 12.7 million in 2010. During that same period Lackawanna County would outpace the state at 8.9 percent growth, while Luzerne County would lag at 4.4 percent growth.</p><p>Maurer noted that the state&#8217;s minority population continues to grow and as of the 2010 Census was 2.6 million or 20.5 percent. Hispanics showed the largest percentage increase in the region, growing by 154 percent in Lackawanna County and nearly 198 percent in Luzerne County.</p><p>The median age in the region also was higher than the state&#8217;s 40.1 median age. In Luzerne County it was 42.5 and 41.8 in Lackawanna County. Both counties had higher percentage of people 65 and older than the state&#8217;s 15.4 percent figure. In Lackawanna County, 17.7 percent of the population was in 65 and older and 17.9 percent in Luzerne County.</p><p>Terri Ooms, executive director of The Institute for Public Policy &amp; Economic Development at Wilkes University, acknowledged the data presented both challenges and opportunities.</p><p>There is no single dominant industry, such as coal mining, that would cripple the economy if it crashed, she said. Instead there is a diversity of manufacturing, retail, health care and education.</p><p>&#8220;We have opportunity with having that balance,&#8221; Ooms said. &#8220;We need to continue to develop that balance and support new business and industry.&#8221;</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL042816PEL-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">In many areas, the region has challenges outlined in the presentation Wednesday by John Maurer of the Penn State Data Center at Pennsylvania Economy League luncheon in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL042816PEL-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>In many areas, the region has challenges outlined in the presentation Wednesday by John Maurer of the Penn State Data Center at Pennsylvania Economy League luncheon in Wilkes-Barre. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Opportunities and challenges detailed in data on region