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United Way of Pennsylvania and regional partners convened leaders from across sectors to explore solutions that strengthen financial stability for working families.

Across Southeastern Pennsylvania, thousands of individuals and families are working hard but still struggle to afford basic necessities. Addressing these challenges requires more than awareness. It takes collaboration among employers, community organizations, advocates, and policymakers to identify barriers and create meaningful pathways to financial stability.

On October 13, United Way of Pennsylvania (UWP), alongside regional partners, hosted the Southeast PA Economic Mobility & Workforce Development Summit: Building Pathways to Possibility at Gwynedd Mercy University. The event brought together leaders from across sectors to examine the challenges facing working households in suburban Southeastern Pennsylvania and explore opportunities for collective action.

The gathering was the first in a two-part summit series designed to advance conversations and solutions around workforce stability and economic mobility. A second summit, planned for early 2027 in Philadelphia, will build on these discussions with a focus on the unique challenges and opportunities facing urban communities.

Understanding the Challenges Facing Working Households

In Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties, an average of 40% of households live below the ALICE Threshold, meaning their incomes are insufficient to cover the basic cost of living.

ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed and represents households that earn above the federal poverty level but still cannot afford essentials such as housing, childcare, food, transportation, and healthcare. Together with households living in poverty, these families represent a significant portion of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s workforce.

Financial insecurity affects more than individual households. It also influences workforce participation, employee retention, career advancement, and the economic strength of communities.

Throughout the summit, conversations focused on how everyday challenges, such as transportation, childcare, and unexpected expenses, can affect a person’s ability to maintain employment, advance in their career, and build financial security. For many ALICE households, even a small financial setback can have lasting consequences.

One particularly complex challenge is the benefit cliff, which occurs when a modest increase in earnings results in a significant reduction or loss of public benefits. These situations can leave working families financially worse off after receiving a raise or accepting a higher-paying position, creating barriers to career advancement and long-term economic mobility.

Addressing these challenges requires looking beyond individual programs and considering how different systems work together. The summit challenged participants to consider how employers, nonprofit organizations, and policymakers can work together to address these interconnected challenges and create stronger opportunities for economic mobility.

Building Partnerships for Lasting Change

No single organization or sector can address the challenges of financial insecurity alone. Employers influence wages and workplace benefits, community organizations connect households to essential resources, and policymakers help shape the systems that influence economic opportunity.

The summit created space for these perspectives to come together, helping participants better understand their shared role in strengthening the region’s workforce and supporting economic mobility.

The goal was not simply to identify challenges, but to begin building the relationships, shared understanding, and coordinated approaches needed to address them.

The October summit marked the beginning of a broader regional effort to advance economic mobility across Southeastern Pennsylvania.

While the first event focused on suburban communities, the second summit, planned for early 2027 in Philadelphia, will examine the distinct barriers and opportunities affecting urban households and workers. Together, these gatherings aim to move the conversation beyond awareness and toward coordinated, cross-sector solutions that help more individuals and families build financial stability and thrive.

The Southeast PA Economic Mobility & Workforce Development Summit was made possible through grant funding from Vanguard and collaboration with United Way of Pennsylvania, Chester County United Way, United Way of Southern Chester County, United Way of Bucks County, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, Children First, and Campaign for Working Families.