“While the U.S. economy has shown some signs of recovery—the U.S. unemployment rate has dipped below 8 percent from 10 percent three years ago—the economic
outlook for many working families is bleak” write Brandon Roberts, Deborah Povich and Mark Mather New in LOW-INCOME WORKING FAMILIES: THE GROWING ECONOMIC GAP (Adapted choosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor to follow)
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that the number of lowincome working families in the United States increased to 10.4 million in 2011, up from 10.2 million a year earlier.
This means that nearly one third of all working families—32 percent—may not have enough money to meet basic needs. At the same time, inequality among working families is increasing, as higher-income families receive a larger share of income relative to families at the bottom of the income distribution. The total number of people in low-income working families now stands at 47.5 million and could reach 50 million in the next few years. That’s roughly equivalent to the total number of people living in California, Oregon, and Washington combined. Although many people are returning to work, they are often taking jobs with lower wages and less job security, compared with the middle-class jobs they held before the economic downturn.
These low-wage jobs typically offer limited opportunities for advancement, few (if
any) benefits, and create challenges for parents trying to balance work and family responsibilities.
Key Findings for 2011
- The number of low-income working families in the United States increased to 10.4 million in 2011, up from 10.2 million in 2010.
- The total number of people in low-income working families now stands at 47.5 million.
- In 2011, there were 23.5 million children in low-income working families.
- There are 10 states, spread across the U.S., where the share of low-income working families increased by 5 percentage points or more between 2007 and 2011.
- The richest 20 percent of working families took home nearly half (48 percent) of all income, while those in the bottom 20 percent received less than 5 percent of the economic pie.
Full Report @:
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