Basic Needs Indicators

We’re all struggling with the nation’s economic downturn, but it’s especially hard on vulnerable people in King County. To meet people’s pressing basic needs, United Way of King County will invest in programs that promote housing stability, alleviate hunger and help people secure the tax credits and public benefits they need.

The following indicators represent the impact of economic conditions on people in our community. Data are broken down by smaller geographic areas where possible. Additional data is provided in many of the downloadable files. This will provide an immediate barometer of how people are faring in King County during these difficult times.

If you need help with financial, housing, food, health and employment services, visit our Where to Turn Basic Needs online resource guide. For information on how to get other kinds of assistance, call 2-1-1 or follow this link: http://www.resourcehouse.info/Win211/

Status on key indicators:

Our nation is currently experiencing the longest period of high unemployment since monthly rates began to be measured in the 1940's.
Over the past year, an average of 5.4% of Washington workers have been unemployed for longer than 15 weeks.
Employment has increased slowly over the past year.
Visits to food banks rose significantly during 2008 and have remained at high levels.
Requests for rent assistance continued to increase in the first three quarters of 2010 decreased in the fourth quarter and remained at moderately high levels since then.
Home foreclosures continue to be recorded at high rates in King County compared with years before the recession. South County is disproportionately affected by foreclosures.

Requests for Assistance with Basic Needs

211 Information line provides information on social services.

The number of requests for assistance with rent and utilities remains high.
The largest number of calls come from South King County, followed by Seattle.
As many as half those requesting rent assistance do not qualify for the Housing Stability Program because their income is insufficient when compared to their housing costs.
The Housing Stability Program has not had sufficient resources to meet the needs of all those who are eligible.

Source: Crisis Clinic | Download Data

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services provides financial, medical and food assistance.

Applications for financial assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) rose in the third quarter of 2010 and declined in the next three quarters.
Caseload is leveling off as new applications have declined.

Source: Washington State Department of Social and Health Services | Download Data

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Emergency Food Distribution

The average monthly visits to food banks is 44% higher than the number recorded in 2007.
Some individual food banks saw increases as much as 30% during some months in 2008 compared to the same months in 2007.
Based on data from Seattle food banks, the largest increase in food bank beneficiaries was for children 0-2, followed by other children under 18.

Source: Food Lifeline | Download Data

Applications for the Basic Food Program (formerly food stamps) increased steadily in late 2008 and early 2009. Since 2009, the number of new applications each month has remained at high levels.
Caseloads continued to grow steadily as people remain on food assistance longer.
An average of 10,000 King County residents apply for food stamps each month.
One in 20 King County residents are enrolled in the Basic Food program.
The Basic Food caseload grown by nearly 150% between October 2007 and October 2011.

Source: Washington State Department of Social and Health Services | Download Data

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Employment Security Data

How is unemployment measured?

Shaded areas indicate periods of national economic recession
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Download Data

The unemployment rate rose sharply in February of 2009 and has remained near 8% or more since then.
This is the longest period of sustained, high unemployment since monthly unemployment rates began to be measured in the early 1940's.
The unemployment rate for November was 8.3% for King County and 8.3% for Washington State.
The unemployment rate for African American workers in Washington State was 21% in 2010and 17% for Latino workers.
5.4% of Washington's workers have been unemployed for over 15 weeks.
The Washington State unemployment rate is over 18% when discouraged workers, marginally attached workers and those employed part time for economic reasons are included in the workforce population.
The November, 2011 seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.7% for Washington State and 8.2% for the Seattle metropolitan area.
The percentage of unemployed workers in Washington getting unemployment benefits dropped from 45% in 2001 to 36% in 2008¹

Source: Washington State Employment Security | Download Data
* Unemployment rates are often revised as additional data is collected, therefore the rate for a given month may be different than what was reported in previous updates.

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Download Data

Unemployment Benefit Levels

In Washington state, the maximum weekly benefit amount is $608. The minimum is $138, depending on eligibility for federal recession-related programs which are based on the date their claim took effect. No one who is eligible for benefits will receive less than this, regardless of his or her earnings. Within those limits, the average benefit is around 50% of average earnings during the highest two quarters in the calculation period.

In 2009, about 25 percent of claimants received the maximum benefit amount and 6 percent receive the minimum.

The combination of regular unemployment benefits and emergency benefits and extensions allow workers who are eligible for all these programs to receive benefits for up to 99 weeks total. Increasing numbers of people are reaching the end of their unemployment benefits.

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Home Foreclosures

Foreclosure and Homelessness

A study released on June 26, 2009 by the National Alliance to End Homelessness and six other advocacy organizations found that, nationally, 5% of shelter and transitional housing clients were homeless as a result of foreclosures. Most of these people had been renters rather than property owners.

Local Foreclosure Rates

Public Health Seattle King County has prepared data on Notice of Trustee Sales from the King County Recorders office website to estimate trends in home foreclosures. For more recent updates, an explanation of the foreclosure process and maps showing where Notice of Trustee Sales have been recorded in the County, please see Communities Count 2008, Data Updates and Recession-Linked Data.

Foreclosure rates have been rising in King County since Spring of 2007.
There is a concentration of higher numbers of foreclosures in the south/central, southwest and southeast parts of King County..

Source: *These data were prepared by Public Health Seattle-King County for Communities Count, Taken from the King County recorders website: http://146.129.54.93:8193/search.asp?cabinet=opr
Notices of Trustee Sale are a useful representation of foreclosures.

Foreclosure Need Scores

The Foreclosure Response Project has created foreclosure needs scores for every zip code in the US. The 15 zip codes in King County with the highest needs scores are all in South King County with Federal Way topping the list. Tacoma and other parts of Pierce County have considerably higher need scores than any part of King County. Download Foreclosure Need Scores by Jurisdiction