Problems of the Working Poor
In today's society, whether the economy is stagnant or booming, millions ofAmericans work hard yet remain poor (Marlene, 1999). According tostatistics, in 1998, nine million Americans worked at least part of theyear but fell below the official poverty level (Boushey, 2001). Of thesenine million people, two million worked full-time and year-round. As aresult, the United States faces a major social problem-the challenges facedThere are many reasons to be concerned about the working poor. First ofall, the majority of the working poor live in families with children, sotheir poverty is affecting others, as well (Marlene, 1999). Also, studiesshow that working poverty is probably much more widespread than theofficial count of nine million Americans cited (Boushey, 2001). The label"poor" describes anyone whose family income falls below the government'sofficial poverty level, which in 1999 was $16,700 for a family of four and$13,880 for a family of three. However, many experts believe that theofficial poverty level is too low. Thus, it is believed that more than 30million Americans reside in families that fall below self-sufficiency, eventhough at least one family member is employed f
Discrimination and immigration laws create many barriers for the workingpoor, especially when it comes to the disadvantaged position of Latinos inthe American labor force (Marlene, 1999). By examining a population that is trying to overcome poverty byworking and the problems they are facing, leaders can see how policy ishelping or failing to help these workers, and what additional policies, ifany, must be implemented. The working poor are less likely to work full-time and year-round in comparison to other workers. For the working poor, there are two levels of hardship - criticaland serious. They are over-represented among those who are affected bylayoffs in employment. Serious hardships are the everyday difficulties that threaten a family'swell-being. Another problem facing the working poor is that they often lack full-yearemployment (Boushey, 2001). One factor that contributes tothe labor market difficulties of African Americans and Hispanics ispersistent racial discrimination. For thisreason, American leaders must step up to the plate and offer more educationand equal opportunity policies to help the working poor escape poverty. While two-thirds of the working poor hold highschool degrees, this proportion is much lower than the 88 percent of allworkers who hold high school degrees. The majority of workers who do not work full-timereported that they only work part-time because they cannot find full-timework. A recent study of young people (between theages of 23 and 37) revealed that one-third fell into working poverty duringthe decade examined (Marlene, 1999). Theseindustries are usually low-paying and offer few benefits and little jobsecurity. Finally, it is important to study theworking poor because they provide invaluable information regarding publicpolicy.
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