Change in Worker Occupations

Percentage Change in Worker Occupations

THE NUMBER OF WORKERS IN different occupations has also changed. The number of people working in management, business, science, and arts has grown by nearly 37.6%, while the number of workers in all other occupations has fallen. This is roughly comparable to the rest of Brooklyn and New York City. This also fits with a trend of gentrification.

Yet a significant number of people still remain in non-management, business, science, and arts occupations. People working in management, business, science and arts make up 30.8% of the workforce, or 16,336 people. However, almost the same number, 16,111 people, or 30.4% of the workforce, work in services. This is indicative of a change in status, and income, of workers in Sunset Park.

While the percentage of people living in poverty has decreased, much of the neighborhood still remains poor. 22% live below the poverty level according to the 2016-2020 ACS. Similarly, the number of households that are rent burdened has decreased, but at 39.5% according to the 2016-2020 ACS, it is still higher than the city-wide average. Again, it is at least as likely that the decreases in these statistics have been caused by displacement rather than by increasing salaries.

Poverty status is determined for each family based on their composition. For example, a family might have two children, two parents, and a grandparent living together. This is then matched to one of 48 poverty thresholds: monetary values calculated by the U.S. Census Bureau that estimate what a family of these characteristics needs to live. If the family’s total income, before taxes, is below the threshold the family and all of its members are considered to be living in poverty. Poverty thresholds are changed every year to address inflation.

Refer to U.S. Census Bureau for more information census.gov/topics/ income-poverty/poverty/guidance/poverty-measures.html

2006-2010

2016-2020