One third of working families in US struggling to meet basic needs

By Jerry White
22 December 2010
Nearly one in three working families in the United States are struggling to meet their most basic needs, according to a new analysis of US Census data by the Working Poor Families Project. Between 2007 and 2009, the share of working families that were low-income—earning less than 200 percent of the official threshold—increased from 28 percent to 30 percent.

The new report was issued as the Obama administration and Congressional Republicans agreed to a range of tax cuts that will further enrich the wealthiest two percent of the American population. In the face of staggering levels of unemployment, poverty and social need, the politicians of both corporate-backed parties in Washington have pledged that 2011 will be the year for making “tough choices” to slash vitally necessary social programs.

The ranks of the working poor swelled by another 1.7 million as corporations used the economic downturn to wipe out full-time positions and force ever-larger numbers of workers to take part-time, temporary and low-paying jobs.

The authors of the new report note, “The plight of these families now challenges a fundamental assumption in America, work pays.” …more