DC area unemployment rate is unchanged at 5.3 percent (Washington Post: Local): “The Washington area jobless rate hovered at 5.3% in November, according to a Labor Department report released Tuesday that revealed little change in the local employment picture [...] the Washington economy has been steadily adding jobs, but not at a fast enough clip for the recovery to shift into higher gear.” Education and health services posted the largest job gains, with the latter alone adding 11,300 between November 2011 and 2012. Local leisure and hospitality continued to add jobs as well, while manufacturing and construction both subtracted. Overall, the area remains well below the national rate of 7.8%.
The Fiscal Cliff Legislation: A Primer for Nonprofits on Its Provisions (Nonprofit Quarterly): “The short message that should be taken away from the so-called “fiscal cliff” legislation passed last night is that it is no time to relax [...] Here is our scorecard on the fiscal cliff mini-bargain.” At the NPQ website, you can read an overview of the final legislation on charitable deductions, marginal tax rates, and other taxes (such as the payroll tax); that said, “good news for nonprofits and the communities they serve is that a variety of programs that benefit working class and lower income people have been saved — for the time being.”
Survey: Many Latino residents don’t have health care (Washington Examiner): “About 13.5 percent of the more than 1,000 county residents surveyed in 2011 reported that they were less likely to get routine checkups and screenings because they couldn’t afford it. Almost half identified themselves as Hispanics, according to a Maryland Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey.” Says Alicia Wilson, executive director of La Clinica del Pueblo, “The hurdles are really huge for recent immigrants in terms of thinking proactively about obtaining health care.” Learn more about Catalogue’s health care nonprofits right here.
America’s Top ArtPlaces 2013 (ArtPlace): “Art is inspiring and motivating. But it is also a powerful catalyst for change within communities, invigorating neighborhoods, supporting local businesses, and creating vibrant places. America’s Top Twelve ArtPlaces neighborhoods in the largest 44 metropolitan areas in the country where the arts are central to creating places where people — residents and visitors — want to be.” Among those top 12 is DC’s “intersection of Adams Morgan, U Street, and Dupont Circle,” a neighborhood that is home to a number of Catalogue’s arts and culture nonprofits. What is your favorite local arts destination?