Philadelphia has the dishonor of being the poorest big city in the United States for a score of reasons. An under-resourced school system, systemic racism within labor unions and antiquated systems all contribute to the City of Brother Love being less suited for feast than famine, with a (pre-pandemic) poverty rate at 23.3% — actually better than in recent years — representing over 350,000 residents.

In the intro to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s William Penn Foundation–funded Future of Work series, reporter Inga Saffron explores how the local economy has changed over time and affected the way residents live, learn and grow. Here’s what she called out as some reasons for the state of things:

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