Forsyth Futures has published an interactive, web-based Community Briefing on the anticipated local economic impact of COVID-19. The briefing is available to the public at forsythfutures.org/COVID-19.
The briefing features a dashboard of economic indicators that measure changes in the local economy, which will be updated on a weekly basis. The dashboard also provides estimates of the numbers and demographics of Forsyth County residents who may be particularly vulnerable to the economic impacts of COVID-19.
Adam Hill, Executive Director of Forsyth Futures, said, “In order to respond effectively to the local COVID-19 crisis, our community needs access to reliable community information in as real time as possible to inform the action steps that will be taken in the coming weeks and months. The research findings show that people of color living in Forsyth County are more likely to experience economic harm than White residents from COVID-19-related economic shocks like losing a job or having unexpected medical bills. As time progresses and the temporary supports that have been put in place begin to expire, we are likely to see this already economically vulnerable population fall farther behind.”
What’s in the Briefing?
- A Data Dashboard of Early Economic Measures: Local economic conditions are evolving faster than can be measured using the data sources Forsyth Futures typically relies on for local analyses. The dashboard, to be updated on a weekly basis, tracks a set of local economic measures identified through research and interviews with local experts, intended to provide rough, early indication of change within our local economy.
- Key Findings: includes a summary of key findings from across the different components of the briefing.
- Expert and Literature Review of Anticipated Economic Impact: includes findings from a review of relevant literature as well as interviews with local experts.
- Extended Analyses: Economically Vulnerable Residents by the Numbers: includes a set of extended, in-depth analyses of relevant community factors. Much of this data is visualized and includes disaggregations by sub-population when possible.
