Summary

Published Date: May 23, 2020

Summary: This report describes characteristics of LGBT adults in California, a population of nearly 1.7 million, in relation to their vulnerability to economic harm from the COVID-19 pandemic. A separate report examines COVID-19 related health vulnerabilities (see related link below). Because the data were pulled from the 2015-2018 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the information reported in the report was collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and does not reflect recent changes related to COVID-19.

Findings include: 

  • About 612,000 LGBT adults in California were living below 200% of the federal poverty level.
  • Poverty among this group is concentrated among young people and people of color.
  • An estimated 814,000 LGBT Californians were employed in industries that have been heavily impacted by the pandemic. These include health care and social assistance, retail, leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and construction.
  • An estimated 251,000 were working in highly impacted industries and earned below 200% of the federal poverty line prior to COVID-19.

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