40M Americans in Poverty

The census results on poverty in the U.S. in 2008 are in, and they're worse than we thought.  The lowlights:

• Median household income declined by 3.6%, to $50,303 from around $52K.
• The poverty rate rose to 13.2% from 12.5% in 2007.  That's an additional 2M Americans who have fallen below the nation's already absurdly low poverty threshold to officially qualify as poor.
• Over 46M people - or 15.4% of the population - lack health insurance.

Of course, the specter of poverty hits some groups harder than others.  Median incomes for Hispanics, Southern households, and foreign-born households declined by about 5%.  If you were earning $10/hour, now you're earning $9.50 - this adds up to almost $1,000 in wages lost over a year for someone already struggling full-time at such a low wage.

Almost every group is worse off, including those with comparatively low rates of poverty: households headed by married couples; non-Hispanic whites; and working age adults.

Interestingly, the number of people with health insurance also grew - because more people are receiving coverage from the government.  What's that now about a public option?

Finally, income inequality is unchanged (yippee?), but the poverty rate is the highest in 11 years.  It's worth combing through all the data to really get a full picture of how many more Americans have become so poor even the government has officially taken notice - your neighbors, your grandmother, your kid's friends at school, perhaps even you.

Please help us get this info out today (#PDD09!) as part of Poverty Day.  And you know the drill - Take Action to Fight Poverty in America now!

(Photo of a tent city in St. Petersburg, FL by Lboogiepeace)