Poverty Level and Minimum Wage

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews a recent population survey by the US Census Bureau saying that America's poor have significantly risen to 37 million, 13 million of whom are children. According to the paper, records show that child poverty in America is significantly higher than that in other major Western countries. With a 12.7% population increase rate, 7 million additional poor will burden the economy and country.

From the Paper:

"According to the 2005 population survey conducted by the US Census Bureau, the number of Americans living in poverty has substantially risen to 37 million in recent years or almost one in every eight persons (Office of Social Justice St. Paul and Minneapolis 2006). The 12.7% population increase meant an additional 7 million Americans falling into poverty since 2000. Of these figures, 13 million were children living in poverty in 2004 at a rate of 17.8%, which was significantly higher than that of population as a whole. Child poverty has also been twice or thrice higher than that in most other major Western industrialized countries where 2,019 American babies are born in poverty. Current statistics say that one in five children is poor in his or her first three years of life, the time when brain development is greatest. Furthermore, each child is born without health insurance every minute. And according to the National Center for Children in Poverty, the poverty rate for children is significantly higher by approximately 50% than for other age groups (OSJSPM)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Economy Policy Institute.2006. Minimum Wage Facts at a Glance. http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/issueguides_minwage_minwagefacts
• Kersey, Paul. 2004. The Economic Effects of the Minimum Wage. The Heritage Foundation. http://www.heritage.org/research/labor/tst042904a,cfm?tenderforprint=1
• Morris, David. 2004. The American Voice 2004. The American Voice. http://www.americanoice2004.org/minimumwage/index.html
• Office for Social Justice St. Paul and Minneapolis. 2006. Facts about Poverty. 101 Economic Facts that Every American Should Know. http://www.osjspm.org/101_poverty.htm

More papers on Poverty Level and Minimum Wage:

• Essay # 46568 : "Minimum Wage"
• Term Paper # 101759 : "Minimum Wage in Hotel And Restaurant Businesses"
• Term Paper # 148522 : "The Minimum Wage and its Impacts"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: