Risk of Being Poor Increases

Posted by on May 24, 2006

The risk of Americans spending time living below the povery line iincreased sharply in the 90s. During the 80s, 13 percent of Americans in their 40s spent at least one year living below the poverty line (now calculated at $19,157 a year for a family of four). In the 90s, that number increased to 36 percent. A rising poverty rate and increasing levels of family debt suggest that things will get worse before they get better. Add the lack of health care coverage and the increase in temporary and contract jobs, and Americans are feeling more insecure than ever.

I'm ordering "One Nation, Underprivileged: Why American Poverty Affects Us All" by Mark Rank tonight to learn more.