Tuesday, July 31, 2012
The proportion of Americans living in poverty is threatening to reach its highest level since 1965, according to numerous economists and academics. Poverty is spreading at a fast pace among the underemployed, the unemployed who have quit looking for work, and even suburban families.
Liberal and conservative experts agree that the poverty rate for last year, once all the numbers are crunched, is likely to reach 15.7%, according to the Associated Press. The actual totals will be released in the fall, shortly ahead of the presidential election.
This would represent a significant increase over 2010 when the rate was 15.1%, a figure that represented a new high. Between 2007 and 2010, the poverty rate had increased by 2.6%, from 12.5%.
In terms of the actual numbers of Americans, that means 46.2 million were living in poverty last year—the “largest number in the 52 years for which poverty estimates have been published,” the U.S. Census Bureau reported.
-Noel Brinkerhoff, Vicki Baker
To Learn More:
U.S. Poverty Heads Toward Highest Level in 50 Years (Associated Press)
US Poverty Rate Reaching 50-Year High (Common Dreams)
Highlights (U.S. Census Bureau)
Extreme Poverty Neighborhoods Make a Comeback in U.S. (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
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