U.S. Poverty Rate Declines Significantly

[uscitizen]

U.S. Poverty Rate Declines Significantly
Tuesday August 28, 12:18 pm ET
By Stephen Ohlemacher, Associated Press Writer
Poverty Rate Registers First Significant Decline Since 2000, Census Bureau Reports

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation's poverty rate dropped last year, the first significant decline since President Bush took office.

The Census Bureau reported Tuesday that 36.5 million Americans, or 12.3 percent -- were living in poverty last year. That's down from 12.6 percent in 2005.

The median household income was $48,200, a slight increase from the previous year. But the number of people without health insurance also increased, to 47 million

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070828/poverty.html?.v=4

 

[Thorn]

Hmmm -- I read this same report on MSNBC and they said that this particular drop -- from 12.6 percent to 12.3 percent -- was not statistically significant.

Also, although median household income remained relatively stable, apparently it required more members of a household to hold employment in order to achieve this.

As many on this board have pointed out, these numbers don't take COL into account and the national definition of "poverty" level income doesn't discriminate between someone living in, say MS, vs. someone in NYC.

 

[uscitizen]

Yeah pretty much my thoughts as well. Just thought I would throw the cons a bone since they have taken a beating on the gay senator today.

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

Whenever you're talking about 36 million people a .5% drop is like a million people out of poverty.

 

[uscitizen]

Did you read the part about more with no ins ?

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

I mean, I can just understand how they would say that it was a big decrease.

I don't think it's enough to warrant labeling it "Signifigant", though. The poverty rate increases and decreases by a million on just about a yearly basis. Nothing to be proud of.

 

[Thorn]

Whenever you're talking about 36 million people a .5% drop is like a million people out of poverty.

Care to do that calculation again, WM?

Seriously, though, it was called not statistically significant, as opposed to insignificant from a social perspective.

 

[Topspin]

it's very significant

 

[uscitizen]

Ignoring the median income thread spinner ?

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

Care to do that calculation again, WM?

Seriously, though, it was called not statistically significant, as opposed to insignificant from a social perspective.

I mean,

With 36 million in poverty, a drop from 12.6% of the total US population being in poverty to 12.3% is a few hundred thousand people.

 

[Topspin]

no it's half a percent of over 300 million