COMMENTARY | There are new numbers out about the poverty rate. Due to the stagnant economy and the increasing costs of living a shocking 1 in 2 Americans are considered poor or low income.
Sadly, the reality for the poor and almost poor is not good. Congress and many of the states will most likely have to make more cuts which will add to the number of people who are poor and/or living in poverty.
Many middle-class Americans have slipped below the low-income line, which is about $45,000 a year for a family of four. There are many reasons for the decrease in income including: pay cuts, decrease in work hours, or a lay-off.
According to the Census Bureau, about 97.3 million Americans are considered low-income, those earning between 100-199 percent of the poverty level. When you add that to the 49.1 million Americans who fall below the poverty line, the total is 146.4 million or 48 percent of Americans.
The share of working Americans who are low-income has risen consecutively for three years to 31.2 percent, or 10.2 million. That proportion is the highest in at least a decade, up from 27 percent in 2002, according to a new analysis by the Working Poor Families Project and the Population Reference Bureau , a nonprofit research group based in Washington.
Various states in the South and West have the highest shares of low-income families: Arizona, New Mexico, and South Carolina. The reason why these states have the highest shares of low-income families is because they’ve reduced or ended programs for the needy. Robert Rector, a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, questions whether the programs provided to low-income families truly benefit the recipients. Rector stated, “As we come out of the recession, programs that promote self-sufficiency will be very important.”