Low Income Families

  • In 2006, 16.8 million people lived in working-poor families. This translates into 7.7% of all American families living below 100% of poverty have at least one family member working.1
  • Thirty-six percent of client households served by Feeding America Network have one or more adults working.2
  • Younger workers are more likely to be among the working poor than older workers because of lower earnings and high rates of unemployment. In 2004, 10.2% of 16 to 19 years old workers and 11.6% of 20 to 24 year old workers were living in poverty.3
  • According to the most recent survey on hunger and homelessness conducted by the United States Conference of Mayors, 40% of adults requesting emergency food assistance were employed. In addition, 21 of the 24 cities surveyed cited unemployment as a determining factor of hunger in their communities.4
  • 36.9% of all adult clients served by the Feeding America Network have completed high school or equivalent degree with no further education beyond high school.5
  • 31.6% of all client households served by the Feeding America Network have had to choose between paying for food and paying for medicine or medical care.6
  • A report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that in 2002 more than 25% of working American families were classified as low-income, with incomes at 200% of the federal poverty level. This translates into more than 9.2 million families.7
  • In 2002, one-in-four low-income families (incomes at 200% of the federal poverty level) with one full-time, full-year worker was food insecure and housing insecure. Forty-nine percent of workers have employer-sponsored insurance in comparison to 77% of middle-income families with insurance.8
  • Poor families below the federal poverty level spent about 25% of their income for child care compared to higher-income families who spent 7%.9

1 U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2007 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (POV 10)

2 America's Second Harvest, Hunger In America 2006.

3 U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A Profile of the Working Poor, 2004. May 2006.

4 The U.S. Conference of Mayors, Hunger and Homelessness Survey. December 2005.

5 America’s Second Harvest, Hunger In America 2006.

6 Ibid.

7 Waldron, Tom, B. Roberts, A. Reamer. Working Poor Families Project/Annie E. Casey Foundation. Working Hard, Falling Short: America’s Working Families and the Pursuit of Economic Security. October 2004.

8 Urban Institute, Gregory Acs, P. Loprest. Who Are Low-Income Working Families? September 2005.

9 Annie E. Casey Foundation. 2006 Kids Count Data Book.

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