The growth in the working poor coincides with the continued growth in income inequality. Even with both parents working the number of families that have fallen into poverty has dramatically increased over the last couple years. Many social programs have failed to respond to this growing need, the only programs that has been responsive to these growing needs has been Food Stamps. The unemployment rate has slowly decreased but the jobs that have been expanding have been low paying jobs in the area of retail, food preparation, clerical work, and customer assistance.
Data showed that the top 20 percent of Americans received 48 percent of all income while those in the bottom 20 percent got less than 5 percent. Most of these families earn less than twice the federal poverty income, which has been established as a measure of family self-sufficiency.
The Washington Post and mostly the New York Times have done minimal coverage on this topic, but coverage is nowhere near the true scope of the problem. The widening income inequality gap is at an alarming all time high rates in America.
Title: Inequality Rages as Dwindling Wages Lock Millions in Poverty
Sutor: Jon Queally
Source Common Dreams, January 15, 2013
https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/01/15-2
Student Researcher: Adriana Inocencio, Sonoma State University
Faculty Evaluator: Sheila Katz, Sonoma State University