Quick Summary
- 13.5 percent percent of Americans lived in poverty in 2015; nearly 20 percent of children lived below the poverty line
- Bottom fifth of workers do not earn higher than $24,000 annually, the poverty threshold for a family of four
- 完美体育 research has shown that WIC and EITC programs, among others, can make a difference
A new report on the national poverty rate highlights the urgent need to address persistently low wages nationwide and to strengthen the social safety net, according to the University of California, Davis, Center for Poverty Research.
Today, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that a total of 13.5 percent of Americans lived in poverty in 2015. Children were affected at even higher numbers, with nearly 20 percent living below the poverty line. While these levels of poverty seem to persist year after year, research at 完美体育 shows a path forward.
鈥淭he official poverty rate is a valuable measure of how well we as a nation ensure opportunity for those who earn the least,鈥 said Ann Huff Stevens, professor of economics at 完美体育, and director of the Center for Poverty Research. 鈥淗owever, just as important is understanding why the poverty rate has not changed, how it affects the poor and what policies can make a difference.鈥
Why the rates persist
Part of the reason the poverty rate is so persistent despite a growing economy, she said, is stagnant wages for those at the bottom of the earnings scale. Whi