80 Percent Of US Adults Face Poverty At Some Point
About 80 percent of US adults have faced or will face poverty at some point in their lives, according to a recent study by The Associated Press.
The study data shows that four out of every five US adults has struggled with joblesness, near-poverty, or reliance on welfare for parts of their lives.
The study’s data indicates a breakdown of the American dream and a sign that the economic security of the US is deteriorating, reports USA Today.
Likely causes of the US poverty issue are an increasingly globalized US economy, a widening gap between rich and poor, and also the loss of manufacturing jobs that pay well.
And many US adults aren’t holding out hope that their poverty struggles will get better. Irene Salyers, 52, who runs a fruit and vegetable stand with her boyfriend, commented:
“I think it’s going to get worse. If you try to go apply for a job, they’re not hiring people, and they’re not paying that much to even go to work.”
CBS News notes that hardship is growing particularly among whites, based on many measures, including economic insecurity and pessimism among the racial group that their families economic futures will change.
More than 76 percent of white adults have experienced at least a year of periodic joblessness, reliance on government aid, or income below 150 percent of the poverty line by the time they are 60. While 80 percent of US adults will see poverty in their lifetimes, 15 percent remain poor, or 46.2 million Americans.
The record number of poor is partially the result of a lingering employment issue following the recession. Along with poverty on the rise, marriage rates have declined across all rates. The number of households with single white mothers living in poverty has equaled that of black ones.
While census figures can provide an official measure of poverty in the United States, the Associated Press data shows a wider picture of what can happen over time.
Are you surprised to hear about 80 percent of US adults will face poverty at some point in their lives?
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