Friday, November 06, 2009
Tweet[IWS] CRS: POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES 2008 [6 October 2009]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Poverty in the United States: 2008
Thomas Gabe, Specialist in Social Policy
October 6, 2009
http://opencrs.com/document/RL33069/2009-10-06/download/1013/
[full-text, 21 pages]
Summary
In 2008, 39.8 million people were counted as poor in the United States—an increase of 2.6
million persons from 2007, and nearly the largest number of persons counted as poor since 1960.
The poverty rate, or percent of the population considered poor under the official definition, was
reported at 13.2%; up from 12.5% in 2007, and the highest rate since 1997. The recent increase in
poverty reflects the worsened economic conditions since the onset of the economic recession in
December 2007. Many expect poverty to rise further next year, and it will likely remain
comparatively high even after the economy begins to recover. The incidence of poverty varies
widely across the population according to age, education, labor force attachment, family living
arrangements, and area of residence, among other factors. Under the official poverty definition,
an average family of four was considered poor in 2008 if its pre-tax cash income for the year was
below $22,025. This report will be updated on an annual basis, following release of U.S. Census
Bureau annual income and poverty estimates.
Supporting data are based on the following: U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty, and Health
Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008; Current Population Report No. P60-235,
September 2009; and unpublished Census Bureau tables, available on the internet at
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html.
Contents
Trends in Poverty........................................................................................................................1
Definition of Poverty ..................................................................................................................2
Poverty Among Selected Groups .................................................................................................7
Racial and Ethnic Minorities .................................................................................................7
Nativity and Citizenship Status..............................................................................................7
Children...............................................................................................................................7
Adults with Low Education, Unemployment, or Disability ....................................................8
The Aged ..............................................................................................................................8
Receipt of Welfare Among the Poor ............................................................................................9
The Geography of Poverty ..........................................................................................................9
American Community Survey (ACS) State Poverty Estimates .............................................10
Figures
Figure 1. Trend in Poverty Rate and Number of Poor Persons: 1959-2008, and Unemployment Rate from January1959 through September 2009........5
Figure 2. U.S. Poverty Rates by Age Group, 1959-2008 ..............................................................6
Figure 3. Poverty Rates for the 50 States and the District of Columbia: 2008 American Community Survey (ACS) Data ................. 11
Tables
Table 1. Poverty Rates for the 50 States and the District of Columbia, 2002 to 2008 Estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS).............13
Table A-1. Poverty Rates (Percent Poor) for Selected Groups, 1959-2008..................................16
Appendixes
Appendix. U.S. Poverty Statistics: 1959-2008 ...........................................................................16
Contacts
Author Contact Information ......................................................................................................18
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Poverty in the United States: 2008
Thomas Gabe, Specialist in Social Policy
October 6, 2009
http://opencrs.com/document/RL33069/2009-10-06/download/1013/
[full-text, 21 pages]
Summary
In 2008, 39.8 million people were counted as poor in the United States—an increase of 2.6
million persons from 2007, and nearly the largest number of persons counted as poor since 1960.
The poverty rate, or percent of the population considered poor under the official definition, was
reported at 13.2%; up from 12.5% in 2007, and the highest rate since 1997. The recent increase in
poverty reflects the worsened economic conditions since the onset of the economic recession in
December 2007. Many expect poverty to rise further next year, and it will likely remain
comparatively high even after the economy begins to recover. The incidence of poverty varies
widely across the population according to age, education, labor force attachment, family living
arrangements, and area of residence, among other factors. Under the official poverty definition,
an average family of four was considered poor in 2008 if its pre-tax cash income for the year was
below $22,025. This report will be updated on an annual basis, following release of U.S. Census
Bureau annual income and poverty estimates.
Supporting data are based on the following: U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty, and Health
Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008; Current Population Report No. P60-235,
September 2009; and unpublished Census Bureau tables, available on the internet at
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html.
Contents
Trends in Poverty........................................................................................................................1
Definition of Poverty ..................................................................................................................2
Poverty Among Selected Groups .................................................................................................7
Racial and Ethnic Minorities .................................................................................................7
Nativity and Citizenship Status..............................................................................................7
Children...............................................................................................................................7
Adults with Low Education, Unemployment, or Disability ....................................................8
The Aged ..............................................................................................................................8
Receipt of Welfare Among the Poor ............................................................................................9
The Geography of Poverty ..........................................................................................................9
American Community Survey (ACS) State Poverty Estimates .............................................10
Figures
Figure 1. Trend in Poverty Rate and Number of Poor Persons: 1959-2008, and Unemployment Rate from January1959 through September 2009........5
Figure 2. U.S. Poverty Rates by Age Group, 1959-2008 ..............................................................6
Figure 3. Poverty Rates for the 50 States and the District of Columbia: 2008 American Community Survey (ACS) Data ................. 11
Tables
Table 1. Poverty Rates for the 50 States and the District of Columbia, 2002 to 2008 Estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS).............13
Table A-1. Poverty Rates (Percent Poor) for Selected Groups, 1959-2008..................................16
Appendixes
Appendix. U.S. Poverty Statistics: 1959-2008 ...........................................................................16
Contacts
Author Contact Information ......................................................................................................18
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 9:28 AM
