1. The number of people living in poverty decreased last
year.
True or False
2. Regardless of what anyone does, most poor people are going
to be poor all the time.
True or False
3. Poverty is primarily a problem for older single adults who
don’t adjust well to society.
True or False
4. The government says that a family of four is poor if it
earns less than $35,000 annually.
True or False
5. Most poor people in America are unemployed.
True or False
6. Most poor people live in inner cities.
True or False
7. Eight million U.S. workers hold two or more jobs.
True or False
8. The federal minimum wage is now $5.15 per hour.
True or False
9. Fewer children live in poverty than a decade ago.
True or False
10. The rate of childhood poverty in the United States is
lower than in most industrialized countries.
True or False
Source: © United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops
1. The answer is true. According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, the number of poor people decreased by 1.2 million last year, from 32.3
million to 31.1 million. But that still leaves one in 11 families -- one in six
children -- struggling to break free from poverty.
2. The answer is false. Poverty often is a transient
situation. The number of people in chronic poverty (for at least two years) is
less than the overall annual poverty rate. Over a two-year period, nearly a
third of Americans dipped briefly into poverty, according to the U.S. Census
Bureau.
3. The answer is false. Poverty affects people of all
ages and family types. A study by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that
children under the age of 18 accounted for 25 percent of the urban homeless.
Families comprised 37 percent of the homeless population; single men and women
comprised 45 percent and 14 percent respectively.
4. The answer is false. The U.S. Census Bureau puts the
poverty level at $17,650. However, a 2000 poll by Jobs for the Future revealed
that a majority of Americans believe it takes at least $35,000 annually to
provide adequately for a family of four.
5. The answer is false. About 7.2 million people living
in poverty are among the working poor. Most of them (56 percent) live in
families with children. They are the fastest-growing segment of the poverty
population.
6. The answer is false. Just 10.8 percent of poor people
live in central cities. The vast majority of people in poverty live outside of
metropolitan areas.
7. The answer is true. Eight million Americans need two
or more jobs to make ends meet.
8. The answer is true. But for a mother who works
full-time at minimum wage to support one small child, that translates to
earnings of $10,712 a year -- which is $1,157 below the 2001 poverty line for a
family of two.
9. The answer is true. The rate of poverty for children
under 18 has dropped to its lowest point since 1979. But despite the decrease
to 16.2 percent, children under 18 still have a higher poverty rate than any
other age group.
10. The answer is false. A 2000 UNICEF report puts the
child poverty rate at 22.4 percent, the highest rate of most industrialized
nations. By comparison, Sweden is less than 3 percent, the Czech Republic is
less than 6 percent; France is just under 8 percent and Germany is just over 10
percent.
Source: © United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops
