Poverty and Income

Poverty Rose, Median Income Fell, & Job-Based Health Insurance Weakened

• Median household income declined 3.6 percent in 2008 after adjusting for inflation, the largest single-year decline on record, and reached its lowest point since 1997.
• The poverty rate rose to 13.2 percent, its highest level since 1997.  The number of people in poverty hit 39.8 million, the highest level since 1960. 
• The number of people who are uninsured jumped by 682,000...and reached 46.3 million.

The figures for 2009, a year in which the economy has weakened further and unemployment has climbed substantially, will look considerably worse, and the figures will likely worsen again in 2010 if, as many economic forecasters expect, unemployment continues to rise in that year.   Read more

Private Health Coverage Declined, Became Less Secure in 2008

“The [Census] data demonstrate that health insurance coverage is becoming increasingly insecure even among parts of the population that are more likely to have coverage. Without action, these figures are expected to worsen over the coming decade....  Congress and the President have a historic opportunity to reverse these damaging trends by enacting comprehensive health reform that both achieves near-universal coverage and takes steps to slow the rate of growth in health care costs.”  Read more

Related:

• Greenstein Statement on Census’ 2008 Health Insurance & Poverty Data
• Podcast:  Examining the 2008 Census Data on Poverty, Income, and Health Insurance (11:59)

Poverty and the Recovery Act

Stimulus Keeping 6 Million Americans Out of Poverty in 2009, Estimates Show

"Although meant chiefly to help the broad economy, the stimulus plan Congress enacted earlier this year (the American Recovery and Re-Investment Act of 2009, or ARRA) had the important secondary effect of significantly ameliorating the recession’s impact on poverty."  Read more