Executive 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. Data were pulled from the California Health Interview Survey 2015-2018 through the AskCHIS platform. Thus, information reported here was collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and does not reflect recent changes related to COVID-19.
Key Findings
- About 612,000 LGBT Californians were living below 200% of the federal poverty level.
- Poverty among LGBT Californians 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 LGBT Californians were working in highly impacted industries and earned below 200% of the federal poverty line prior to COVID-19.
- Many (839,000) LGBT Californians rent their homes.
- Over 300,000 LGBT Californians experienced food insecurity prior to COVID-19.
Efforts to monitor the economic impact of COVID-19 on Californians must include a focus on vulnerable populations, including LGBT adults.