Working for a Pittance
by Bob Herbert, New York Times
Coming this week are the results of a new study that shows – here at home –
how tough a time American families are having in their never-ending
struggle to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. The
White House, as deep in denial about the economy as it is about Iraq,
insists that things are fine – despite the embarrassing fact that Bush
is on track to become the first pResident since Herbert Hoover to
preside over a net loss of jobs during his four years in office.
The
study, jointly sponsored by the Annie E. Casey, Ford and Rockefeller
Foundations, will show that 9.2 million working families in the United
States – one out of every four – earn wages that are so low they are
barely able to survive financially.
“Our
data is very solid and shows that this is a much bigger problem than
most people imagine,” said Brandon Roberts, one of the authors of the
report, which is to be formally released on Tuesday. The report found
that there are 20 million children in these low-income working families.
…The
median income for a family of four in the U.S. is $62,732. According to
the study, a family of four earning less than $36,784 is considered
low-income. A family of four earning less than $18,392 is considered
poor.
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