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applegrove

(118,677 posts) Thu Sep 10, 2015, 10:24 PM Sep 2015

Study Finds Most Of America's Poor Have Jobs

Study Finds Most Of America's Poor Have Jobs

by Scottie Lee Meyers at Wisconsin Public Radio

http://www.wpr.org/study-finds-most-americas-poor-have-jobs

"SNIP..............

Sanders said the results indicate that it’s time to seriously reconsider a number of assumptions about poverty and employment. Although debates over the minimum wage are often polarizing, he said there’s a compelling reason to increase the federal minimum wage considering that so many Americans are playing by the rules and still unable to escape poverty.

"When we think about the American poor we hear things about people living off the system, that it’s easier to take a check from the government than to work, or we think about panhandlers," Sander said. "But the reality of what American poor is today, a more accurate picture is probably someone who is taking your order at a fast-food restaurant or helping you check out at a grocery store."

While there’s a lot of research dedicated to poverty, Sanders said few studies actually look at the working poor because it can be difficult to define. His study looked to narrow it down by measuring more than 120 variables, including an examination hours worked, household income, various thresholds of poverty and regional cost-of-living differences.

"This paper was there to help try to get people to rally around one idea of working poverty, and therefore move forward to find real solutions to help millions of Americans who are working but not making their needs," he said.

.................SNIP"

10 replies

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Highlight:

Study Finds Most Of America's Poor Have Jobs (Original Post) applegrove Sep 2015 OP

Many of them 2 jobs liberal N proud Sep 2015 #1

Not only that but you'd be shocked at how little the most affluent pay for. KentuckyWoman Sep 2015 #4

We didn't really need a study on this. KentuckyWoman Sep 2015 #2

CORRECT Skittles Sep 2015 #3

I agree. applegrove Sep 2015 #5

Amen.... daleanime Sep 2015 #7

I expect Republicans will follow Rep Sensenbrenner here. jeff47 Sep 2015 #6

*Waves hand* Hydra Sep 2015 #8

Poor people typically work more, not less. DirkGently Sep 2015 #9

I got a real shock recently Runningdawg Sep 2015 #10

liberal N proud

(60,335 posts)

1. Many of them 2 jobs

Reply to applegrove (Original post)

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 10:30 PM

Sep 2015

The system is rigged against poor. Everything cost more!

Insurance, loans etc.

KentuckyWoman

(6,679 posts)

4. Not only that but you'd be shocked at how little the most affluent pay for.

Reply to liberal N proud (Reply #1)

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 10:38 PM

Sep 2015

Flights on corporate and personal jets, meals, limo services, use of cars, houses etc etc etc. Even free financing. Show me a rich person and I'll show you a line of not quite as rich people sucking up with all sorts of freebies trying to get in good for a piece of the pie.

Hell my household is slightly below the median national income and even I get 0% for 18 months credit card offers every single week. Can you imaging the sucking up the banks do at the top of the income chain?

KentuckyWoman

(6,679 posts)

2. We didn't really need a study on this.

Reply to applegrove (Original post)

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 10:32 PM

Sep 2015

The idea of America's poor being too lazy to work was always a lie started by the "haves" for multiple reasons. Toss in racism, sexism and bigotry of all sorts for added value. The goal is to keep the bottom and the middle fighting each other instead of banding together to demand their fair share of the wealth workers worldwide create.

Skittles

(153,164 posts)

3. CORRECT

Reply to KentuckyWoman (Reply #2)

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 10:34 PM

Sep 2015

applegrove

(118,677 posts)

5. I agree.

Reply to KentuckyWoman (Reply #2)

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 10:39 PM

Sep 2015

daleanime

(17,796 posts)

7. Amen....

Reply to KentuckyWoman (Reply #2)

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 11:05 PM

Sep 2015

jeff47

(26,549 posts)

6. I expect Republicans will follow Rep Sensenbrenner here.

Reply to applegrove (Original post)

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 10:59 PM

Sep 2015

Well, I don’t think that there’s statistics that indicate that’s the case,

(Context)

Hydra

(14,459 posts)

8. *Waves hand*

Reply to applegrove (Original post)

Fri Sep 11, 2015, 12:49 AM

Sep 2015

Yup, me down here at the bottom. Been working steadily and paying taxes for almost 2 decades and blocked at every turn for getting out- and the continual comment from the tenders of the (badly shredded) safety net: "You make too much to qualify!"

DirkGently

(12,151 posts)

9. Poor people typically work more, not less.

Reply to applegrove (Original post)

Fri Sep 11, 2015, 01:00 AM

Sep 2015

Reagan's fantasies about the lazy poor collecting checks and the myth that helping people de-motivates them somehow took hold without evidence or basic reason in the first place.

And here we are.

Runningdawg

(4,517 posts)

10. I got a real shock recently

Reply to applegrove (Original post)

Fri Sep 11, 2015, 03:51 PM

Sep 2015

I am retired, married to a man still working. We have never used credit. We own 2 cars and a modest home. We have ZERO debt, we worked very hard to achieve this an are proud of it! I usually take a part time temp job around the holidays. I applied at a locally owned, large food store as a night time stocker. I applied 5 times. After having extensive grocery store experience, I was curious a to why no one was calling back. After the last time, I went directly to the human resources dept of that store.
This is what I was told: "You have a 0 credit rating. We do not hire poor people, they can't keep their mind on their job because of all their debt and they steal."
Need a job? Don't bother to apply unless you have an excellent credit rating.

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