Not surprisingly, the poverty rate and the number of people without health insurance rose as the nation slipped into recession. New figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau today (Thurs.) show the increase was sharpest in the West. Correspondent Tom Banse reports.
The Census bureau pegs the poverty rate in the American West at 13.5 percent as of the end of 2008. That's a percent and a half higher than in 2007. The poverty rate hasn't been this high since 1997. Idaho, Oregon and Washington started this year with poverty rates below the national average. But University of Washington Professor Jennifer Romich figures that's only because the recession started later out here.
Jennifer Romich: “My guess is we'll be at average or above average when next year's numbers come out. I would delay on beating the drum of anti-poverty successes out here.”
Under federal guidelines, a family of four earning less than 22-thousand dollars per year is considered in poverty. The same Census Bureau report shows the percentage of Westerners lacking health insurance rose to 17 and a half percent during the first full year of the recession.
On the web:
U.S. Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/014227.html
Copyright 2009 KUOW
Jennifer Romich: “My guess is we'll be at average or above average when next year's numbers come out. I would delay on beating the drum of anti-poverty successes out here.”
Under federal guidelines, a family of four earning less than 22-thousand dollars per year is considered in poverty. The same Census Bureau report shows the percentage of Westerners lacking health insurance rose to 17 and a half percent during the first full year of the recession.
On the web:
U.S. Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/014227.html
Copyright 2009 KUOW
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