NEW YORK TIMES: … Charles T. Nelson, a Census Bureau official, said the decline in the poverty rate resulted partly from an increase in the number of people working full time year-round. In particular, he said, the numbers show an increase in employment and earnings for parents with dependent children…
Poverty thresholds vary with the size and composition of a family. A family of four was classified as poor if its income was less than $23,830 last year; for one person, the threshold was $11,890…
Data in the report showed the powerful effects of government benefit programs. In the absence of Social Security, it said, the number of people 65 and older in poverty would have been nearly 15 million higher last year. If food stamps had been counted as income, 3.7 million fewer people would have been classified as poor… (more)
