 The Census Bureau's annual report released Tuesday offers a snapshot
of the economic well-being of U.S. households for 2010, when
joblessness hovered above 9 percent for a second year. It comes at a
politically sensitive time for President Barack Obama, who has
acknowledged in the midst of his re-election fight that the
unemployment rate could persist at high levels through next year.
The overall poverty rate climbed to 15.1 percent, or 46.2 million,
up from 14.3 percent in 2009.
Reflecting the lingering impact of the recession, the U.S.
poverty rate rose faster from 2007 to 2010 than in any other
three-year period since the early 1980s, when a crippling energy
crisis amid government cutbacks contributed to inflation, spiraling
interest rates and unemployment.
Measured by total numbers, the 46 million now living in poverty
is the largest figure on record, dating back to when the census
began tracking poverty in 1959. Based on percentages, it tied the
poverty level in 1993 and was the highest since 1983.
The share of Americans without health coverage rose from 16.1
percent to 16.3 percent -- or 49.9 million people -- after the
Census Bureau made revisions to numbers of the uninsured. That is
mostly because of continued losses of employer-provided health
insurance in the weakened economy.
Congress passed a health care overhaul last year to address the
rising numbers of uninsured. While the main provisions don't take
effect until 2014, one aspect taking effect in late 2010 allowed
young adults 26 and younger to be covered under their parents'
health insurance.
Brett O'Hara, chief of the Health and Disability Statistics
branch at the Census Bureau, noted that the uninsured rate declined
-- from 29.3 percent to 27.2 percent -- for adults ages 18 to 24,
compared with some other age groups.
The median -- or midpoint -- household income was $49,445, down
2.3 percent from 2009.
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Bruce Meyer, a public policy professor at the University of
Chicago, cautioned that the worst may be yet to come in poverty
levels, citing in part continued rising demand for food stamps this
year as well as "staggeringly high" numbers in those unemployed for
more than 26 weeks. He noted that more than 6 million people now
represent the so-called long-term unemployed, who are more likely to
fall into poverty, accounting for than 2 out of 5 currently out of
work.
Other census findings:
-
Poverty rose among
all races and ethnic groups except Asians. The number of
Hispanics in poverty increased from 25.3 percent to 26.6
percent; for blacks it increased from 25.8 percent to 27.4
percent; and among Asians it was flat at 12.1 percent. The
number of whites in poverty rose from 9.4 percent to 9.9
percent.
-
Child poverty rose
from 20.7 percent to 22 percent.
-
Poverty among people 65 and older was
statistically unchanged at 9 percent, after hitting a record low
of 8.9 percent in 2009.
[Associated Press;
By HOPE YEN]
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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