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

and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2006

(Numbers in thousands)

Total, 16 years and older...... 145,229 118,915 16,437 6,624 19,985 7,427 5,295 1,601 251 1,956

16 to 19 years............... 4,128 3,461 440 65 620 432 320 91 4 91

20 to 24 years............... 13,299 10,743 1,706 436 2,420 1,480 1,079 306 39 266

25 to 34 years............... 31,831 25,212 4,012 1,704 6,259 2,196 1,515 527 72 689

35 to 44 years............... 34,617 27,815 4,184 1,859 5,267 1,674 1,212 333 59 546

45 to 54 years............... 34,977 28,926 3,866 1,536 3,528 1,050 710 243 59 241

55 to 64 years............... 20,618 17,658 1,812 843 1,496 498 388 81 14 102

65 years and older......... 5,759 5,100 417 182 396 96 71 22 3 21

Women, 16 years and older... 66,772 53,382 8,790 3,072 7,808 3,863 2,569 1,054 104 769

16 to 19 years............... 2,074 1,760 211 27 261 232 190 36 – 40

20 to 24 years............... 6,114 4,816 884 222 922 812 559 208 22 99

25 to 34 years............... 14,090 10,816 2,090 774 2,238 1,132 687 379 23 247

35 to 44 years............... 15,666 12,197 2,273 840 2,075 854 555 233 29 221

45 to 54 years............... 16,544 13,413 2,088 725 1,529 522 352 132 21 111

55 to 64 years............... 9,724 8,151 1,023 403 623 268 191 57 9 44

65 years and older......... 2,558 2,230 220 82 161 44 35 8 – 6

Men, 16 years and older......... 78,457 65,533 7,648 3,552 12,177 3,564 2,726 547 147 1,187

16 to 19 years............... 2,054 1,701 229 38 360 201 129 55 4 51

20 to 24 years............... 7,185 5,926 822 214 1,498 668 520 98 17 167

25 to 34 years............... 17,740 14,397 1,921 930 4,021 1,064 829 147 49 441

35 to 44 years............... 18,951 15,618 1,911 1,019 3,191 821 657 99 30 325

45 to 54 years............... 18,433 15,513 1,778 811 1,999 528 358 111 37 130

55 to 64 years............... 10,894 9,507 789 441 873 231 197 23 5 57

65 years and older......... 3,200 2,870 197 100 235 52 36 13 3 15

Age and sex

Total Below poverty level

Total White

Black or 

African 

American

Asian

Hispanic 

or Latino 

ethnicity

Total White

Black or 

African 

American

Asian

Hispanic 

or Latino 

ethnicity

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

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

Latino ethnicity, 2006—Continued

Total, 16 years and older...... 5.1 4.5 9.7 3.8 9.8

16 to 19 years............... 10.5 9.2 20.7 ( 2 ) 14.7

20 to 24 years............... 11.1 10.0 17.9 8.9 11.0

25 to 34 years............... 6.9 6.0 13.1 4.2 11.0

35 to 44 years............... 4.8 4.4 8.0 3.2 10.4

45 to 54 years............... 3.0 2.5 6.3 3.8 6.8

55 to 64 years............... 2.4 2.2 4.4 1.7 6.8

65 years and older......... 1.7 1.4 5.2 1.9 5.3

Women, 16 years and older... 5.8 4.8 12.0 3.4 9.8

16 to 19 years............... 11.2 10.8 17.0 ( 2 ) 15.5

20 to 24 years............... 13.3 11.6 23.5 9.7 10.7

25 to 34 years............... 8.0 6.3 18.1 2.9 11.0

35 to 44 years............... 5.4 4.6 10.3 3.5 10.6

45 to 54 years............... 3.2 2.6 6.3 2.9 7.3

55 to 64 years............... 2.8 2.3 5.6 2.3 7.1

65 years and older......... 1.7 1.6 3.8 – 3.8

Men, 16 years and older......... 4.5 4.2 7.2 4.1 9.7

16 to 19 years............... 9.8 7.6 24.0 ( 2 ) 14.1

20 to 24 years............... 9.3 8.8 11.9 8.0 11.2

25 to 34 years............... 6.0 5.8 7.7 5.3 11.0

35 to 44 years............... 4.3 4.2 5.2 3.0 10.2

45 to 54 years............... 2.9 2.3 6.3 4.6 6.5

55 to 64 years............... 2.1 2.1 3.0 1.2 6.6

65 years and older......... 1.6 1.3 6.7 3.0 6.3

Age and sex

Rate 1 

Total White

Black or 

African 

American

Asian

Hispanic 

or Latino 

ethnicity

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 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. Persons whose ethnicity is

identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Dash represents or rounds to

zero. 

SOURCE: Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Current Population

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

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