The Cost of Poverty

The U.S. Census Bureau report this month offers depressing news about the number of U.S. citizens living in poverty. In 2010 46.2 million people in this country were living in poverty, the largest number in the 52 years for which the poverty estimates have been published.

Have you noticed the rising current of anger and anxiety in our society? If not, conduct a small experiment. Next time you are stopped at a traffic light, hesitate for a second before responding when the light turns green. Chances are you will be met with a cacophony of honking horns, angry shouts and rude gestures. Of course there have always been angry people, but it seems we are experiencing a collective jolt of impatience, anger and frustration that is bubbling very close to the surface. Some of the cause of this trend may be attributed to the rough economy.

Medical News Today reports that money is the number one cause of stress in America. Economic stress impacts human behavior. Our world is filled with huge stressors. People are losing their jobs and losing their homes. Wars are waging all over the world. Local and global economies are faultering. Our leaders are at odds with one another. People are feeling uncertain and lacking a sense of control over their own lives. All these factors create a recipe for stress and conflict.

Road and Travel Magazine
Reports that “fully one half of drivers who are subjected to aggressive driving behavior on the road respond with aggression of their own”. Even more scary-“Drivers with children are more likely to respond aggressively (59 percent) versus those without children (45 percent)”.

Unemployment, poverty and lack of affordable housing are all links to domestic violence. Of current welfare recipients in my home State of Michigan, 63 percent have experienced abuse and 51 percent have experienced severe physical abuse.

Stress is one of the leading causes for loss of employee productivity in the U.S. Stress has been projected to cost businesses as much as $150 billion per year. At a time when our country is struggling to compete globally, our workers are stressed and uncertain about their futures. Stress also increases conflict in the workplace. The Centre for Conflict Resolution International emphasizes the cost of conflict in the work place to individual workers and as well as the impact of workplace conflict on the company’s bottom line.

Poverty places children at risk for academic failure, abuse, neglect and homelessness.

Clearly, from these examples, economic stress and anxiety are serious impedimants to our function as a society. When we are considering the cost of programs such as welfare, food stamps and unemployment, we must factor in the deeper, more insidious costs of poverty to our society.


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