US poverty rate continues to rise

[Talon]

US poverty rate continues to rise

The number of people classed as poor in the US has increased - despite strong economic growth, say official figures.

An extra 1.1 million Americans dropped below the poverty line last year, according to the US Census Bureau.

There were 37 million people living in poverty in 2004, up 12.7% from the previous year.

The report said non-Hispanic whites were the only ethnic group to experience an increase in poverty as well as a drop in income.

Economic lag

Asians were the only ethnic group to show a decline in poverty in 2004 compared with the previous year, while poverty among the elderly also fell.

It rose only for non-Hispanic whites, from 8.2 % in 2003 to 8.6 % over the same period. The poverty rate remained unchanged for black and Hispanics.

The last time poverty fell in the US was in 2000 when there were 31.1 million people officially classed as poor.

The rise in poverty comes despite solid economic growth in 2004, which helped to create 2.2 million jobs in the US.

"I guess what happened last year was kind of similar to what happened in the early 1990s where you had a recession that was officially over and then you had several years after that of rising poverty," said Charles Nelson, an assistant division chief at the Census Bureau.

Sheldon Danziger, co-director of the National Poverty Center at the University of Michigan, said poverty rates were still much better than in the early nineties.

"The good news is that poverty is a lot lower than it was in 1993, but we went through a hell of an economic boom," Mr Danziger said.

Poverty levels are based on the bureau's population surveys, carried out over three months, beginning in February, with about 100,000 households nationally.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/business/4198668.stm

[I am me]

The level at which you are considered poor in the USA is quite higher than what it is in other countries around the world.

[bathory]

does the figure include illegal migrants?

[Blackleaf]

The level at which you are considered poor in the USA is quite higher than what it is in other countries around the world.

819509[/snapback]

I agree. Lots of Europeans say "The poverty rate in the US is higher than what it is in most Western European countries."

However, the US is richer than all European countries except Luxembourg. It has the highest standard of living of any major nation in the world.

Someone in the US who is in poverty is usually about as rich as a European of middle-wealth. Even Americans who are in poverty still have big houses, big cars, dishwashers, televisions, most things that most Europeans living in poverty can only dream of having.

[__Kratos__]

Even Americans who are in poverty still have big houses, big cars, dishwashers, televisions, most things that most Europeans living in poverty can only dream of having.

Because Americans care so much bout physical stuff that they will do ANYTHING to get more.

20 years ago, 10 year old boy: "my daddy loves me cause he plays catch with me in the afternoon!"

Present day, America, 10 year old boy: "My dad loves me because he buys me tons of games, though I don't see him much, I sometimes see him when he comes in at night from doing his job."

Kind of saddens me when you look at it like that.

[JayRob303]

Even Americans who are in poverty still have big houses, big cars, dishwashers, televisions, most things that most Europeans living in poverty can only dream of having.

Because Americans care so much bout physical stuff that they will do ANYTHING to get more.

20 years ago, 10 year old boy: "my daddy loves me cause he plays catch with me in the afternoon!"

Present day, America, 10 year old boy: "My dad loves me because he buys me tons of games, though I don't see him much, I sometimes see him when he comes in at night from doing his job."

Kind of saddens me when you look at it like that.

819775[/snapback]

Agreed...

I spend as much time with my son as I can, and it still doesn't seem like its enough...

With fuel prices where they are right now, you can go broke simply driving back and forth to work...