Table 27. Working poor: Poverty status of people in the labor force for 27 weeks or more by age, sex, race, 

and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2008

(Numbers in thousands)

Total, 16 years and older...... 147,838 120,660 16,817 6,772 21,005 8,883 6,321 1,844 349 2,604

16 to 19 years............... 4,079 3,357 494 73 654 518 365 110 16 117

20 to 24 years............... 13,311 10,688 1,680 453 2,415 1,525 1,094 303 38 368

25 to 34 years............... 32,349 25,626 4,121 1,627 6,172 2,555 1,753 614 72 858

35 to 44 years............... 33,689 26,892 4,120 1,852 5,539 1,953 1,389 398 99 716

45 to 54 years............... 35,633 29,385 3,906 1,654 3,941 1,462 1,053 291 75 366

55 to 64 years............... 22,349 19,088 2,000 891 1,849 738 558 111 45 156

65 years and older......... 6,428 5,624 495 221 434 132 109 16 3 22

 Women, 16 years and older... 68,558 54,752 9,000 3,151 8,412 4,464 2,990 1,146 154 1,020

16 to 19 years............... 2,013 1,655 260 27 301 286 201 64 7 59

20 to 24 years............... 6,269 4,968 868 216 996 831 584 185 23 147

25 to 34 years............... 14,495 11,104 2,186 768 2,225 1,326 813 422 33 319

35 to 44 years............... 15,286 11,877 2,198 831 2,176 899 583 246 36 258

45 to 54 years............... 17,015 13,763 2,129 801 1,731 712 496 163 35 170

55 to 64 years............... 10,644 8,942 1,099 424 797 340 256 54 20 61

65 years and older......... 2,836 2,441 261 84 186 70 59 11 – 6

 Men, 16 years and older...... 79,280 65,908 7,817 3,621 12,593 4,418 3,331 698 195 1,585

16 t 19 2 066 1 701 235 46 353 232 164 46 9 59

Black or 

African 

American

Asian

Hispanic 

or Latino 

ethnicity

Age and sex

Total Below poverty level

Total White

Black or 

African 

American

Asian

Hispanic 

or Latino 

ethnicity

Total White

16 to 19 years............... 2,066 1,701 235 46 353 232 164 46 9 59

20 to 24 years............... 7,042 5,720 813 238 1,419 694 510 118 15 221

25 to 34 years............... 17,854 14,522 1,935 859 3,947 1,229 941 192 39 539

35 to 44 years............... 18,403 15,014 1,922 1,021 3,363 1,053 807 152 63 458

45 to 54 years............... 18,618 15,622 1,777 853 2,210 750 557 128 40 196

55 to 64 years............... 11,705 10,147 901 467 1,053 398 302 57 25 95

65 years and older......... 3,593 3,182 234 137 248 61 50 5 3 16

81
Table 27. Working poor: Poverty status of people in the labor 

force for 27 weeks or more by age, sex, race, and Hispanic or 

Latino ethnicity, 2008—Continued

Total, 16 years and older...... 6.0 5.2 11.0 5.1 12.4

16 to 19 years............... 12.7 10.9 22.3 21.4 17.9

20 to 24 years............... 11.5 10.2 18.1 8.4 15.2

25 to 34 years............... 7.9 6.8 14.9 4.4 13.9

35 to 44 years............... 5.8 5.2 9.7 5.4 12.9

45 to 54 years............... 4.1 3.6 7.5 4.5 9.3

55 to 64 years............... 3.3 2.9 5.5 5.1 8.5

65 years and older......... 2.0 1.9 3.2 1.3 5.1

 Women, 16 years and older... 6.5 5.5 12.7 4.9 12.1

16 to 19 years............... 14.2 12.1 24.8 ( 2 ) 19.4

20 to 24 years............... 13.3 11.7 21.4 10.8 14.7

25 to 34 years............... 9.1 7.3 19.3 4.3 14.3

35 to 44 years............... 5.9 4.9 11.2 4.3 11.9

45 to 54 years............... 4.2 3.6 7.7 4.3 9.8

55 to 64 years............... 3.2 2.9 4.9 4.8 7.7

65 years and older......... 2.5 2.4 4.3 .2 3.2

 Men, 16 years and older...... 5.6 5.1 8.9 5.4 12.6

16 t 19 11 2 9 6 19 7 ( 2 ) 16 7

Age and sex

Rate 1 

Total White

Black or 

African 

American

Asian

Hispanic 

or Latino 

ethnicity

16 to 19 years............... 11.2 9.6 19.7 ( 2 ) 16.7

20 to 24 years............... 9.8 8.9 14.5 6.3 15.6

25 to 34 years............... 6.9 6.5 9.9 4.6 13.7

35 to 44 years............... 5.7 5.4 7.9 6.2 13.6

45 to 54 years............... 4.0 3.6 7.2 4.7 8.9

55 to 64 years............... 3.4 3.0 6.3 5.4 9.0

65 years and older......... 1.7 1.6 1.9 2.0 6.5

1 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for

27 weeks or more. 2 Data not shown where labor force base is less than 80,000.

NOTE: These data, collected in the Annual Social and Economic Supplement,

reflect the earnings and work experience of the entire year. Estimates for the

above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to

totals because data are not presented for all races. People whose ethnicity is

identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.

SOURCE: 2009 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Current Population

Survey, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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