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Almost Half of US Families Can't Afford Basics Like Rent and Food

posted by janrinok on Monday May 21 2018, @08:11AM   Printer-friendly
from the richest-country-in-the-world dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes:

http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/17/news/economy/us-middle-class-basics-study/index.html

"Nearly 51 million households don't earn enough to afford a monthly budget that includes housing, food, child care, health care, transportation and a cell phone, according to a study released Thursday by the United Way ALICE Project. That's 43% of households in the United States."

The figure includes the 16.1 million households living in poverty, as well as the 34.7 million families that the United Way has dubbed ALICE -- Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. This group makes less than what's needed "to survive in the modern economy."

"Despite seemingly positive economic signs, the ALICE data shows that financial hardship is still a pervasive problem," said Stephanie Hoopes, the project's director.

California, New Mexico and Hawaii have the largest share of struggling families, at 49% each. North Dakota has the lowest at 32%.

Many of these folks are the nation's child care workers, home health aides, office assistants and store clerks, who work low-paying jobs and have little savings, the study noted. Some 66% of jobs in the US pay less than $20 an hour.

See also: https://www.forbes.com/sites/noahkirsch/2017/11/09/the-3-richest-americans-hold-more-wealth-than-bottom-50-of-country-study-finds/

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  • (Score: 2, Flamebait) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday May 21 2018, @04:37PM (4 children)

    by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Monday May 21 2018, @04:37PM (#682255) Journal

    So much for liberty above all, huh? What a hypocrite you are. That is a collectivist outlook if there ever was one. What's next, mandatory sterilization for anyone making less than 50K a year?

    --
    I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
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  • (Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday May 21 2018, @08:19PM (3 children)

    by The Mighty Buzzard (18) Subscriber Badge <themightybuzzard@proton.me> on Monday May 21 2018, @08:19PM (#682372) Homepage Journal

    I said the though crossed my mind, not that it in any way shaped my actions or beliefs. Unlike some folks, I am quite in control of what I say and do rather than being at the whims of my bodily chemicals.

    --
    My rights don't end where your fear begins.

    • (Score: 2) by NewNic on Monday May 21 2018, @08:51PM (1 child)

      by NewNic (6420) on Monday May 21 2018, @08:51PM (#682384) Journal

      Unlike some folks, I am quite in control of what I say and do rather than being at the whims of my bodily chemicals.

      Ignorance front and center again. We are all "at the whims of [our] bodily chemicals". There was an interesting episode of "This American Life" which discussed this very issue.

      --
      lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory

    • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday May 22 2018, @04:04AM

      by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Tuesday May 22 2018, @04:04AM (#682522) Journal

      Keep telling yourself that. Maybe you'll fool someone into believing it someday. Those of us who live in reality, meanwhile, put up a set of polarizing filters every time you post so as not to be blinded by that massive freaking halogen you have in your projector...

      --
      I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...