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May 2021 
                    Report 1093

				 
			


		
		

		
		

		
		

		
		

		
		

		
		




















									



				 
                
                BLS Reports Menu
                    CONTENTS
                        Demographic characteristics
Educational attainment
Occupation
Families
Unrelated individuals
Labor market problems 
                          Statistical Tables 
						  Table 1. People in the labor force: poverty status and work experience by...Table 2. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status by...Table 3. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status by...Table 4. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more who worked during...Table 5. Primary families: poverty status, presence of related children,...Table 6. People in families and unrelated individuals: poverty status and...Table 7. Unrelated individuals in the labor force for 27 weeks or more:...nbspTable 8. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty...
                          Technical Notes
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     A profile of the working poor, 2019
A profile of the working poor, 2019 imageAbout 34.0 million people, or 10.5 percent of the nation’s population, lived below the official poverty level in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.[1] (See the technical notes section for examples of poverty levels.) Although the poor were primarily adults who had not participated in the labor force during the year and children, 6.3 million individuals were among the “working poor” in 2019, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); this measure decreased from 7.0 million in 2018. The working poor are people who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force (that is, working or looking for work) but whose incomes still fell below the official poverty level. In 2019, the working-poor rate—the ratio of the working poor to all individuals in the labor force for at least 27 weeks—was 4.0 percent, down by 0.5 percentage point from the previous year’s figure. (See table A, chart 1, and table 1.)Highlights from the 2019 data:The working-poor rate of people in the labor force for 27 weeks or more was 4.0 percent. This is the lowest rate in the history of the series, which began in 1986. (See chart 1.)Full-time workers remained much less likely to be among the working poor than part-time workers. Among people in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 2.7 percent of those usually employed full time were classified as working poor, compared with 9.8 percent of part-time workers. (See table 1.)Women were more likely than men to be among the working poor (4.5 percent and 3.5 percent, respectively). In addition, Blacks or African Americans and Hispanics or Latinos continued to be much more likely than Whites and Asians to be among the working poor.2 (See table 2.)The likelihood of being classified as working poor diminishes as workers attain higher levels of education. Among those with less than a high school diploma, 12.8 percent of those who were in the labor force for at least 27 weeks were classified as working poor, compared with 1.4 percent of those with a bachelor’s degree and higher. (See table 3.)Individuals who were employed in service occupations remained more likely to be among the working poor than those employed in other major occupational groups. (See table 4.)Among families with at least one member in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, those with children under 18 years old were nearly 5 times as likely as those without children to live in poverty. Families maintained by women were more than twice as likely as families maintained by men to be living below the poverty level. (See table 5.)Table A. Poverty status of people and primary families in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 2008–19 (Numbers in thousands)Characteristic200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019Total in the labor force[1]147,838147,902146,859147,475148,735149,483150,319152,230153,364154,762156,454157,769In poverty8,88310,39110,51210,38210,61210,4509,4878,5607,5726,9466,9646,318Working poor rate6.07.07.27.07.17.06.35.64.94.54.54.0Unrelated individuals32,78533,79834,09933,73134,81035,06135,01835,95335,78936,95937,08236,805In poverty3,2753,9473,9473,6213,8514,1413,3953,1372,7922,5242,6842,445Working poor rate10.011.711.610.711.111.89.78.77.86.87.26.6Primary families[2]65,90765,46764,93166,22566,54166,46266,73267,19367,62867,58868,09968,318In poverty4,5385,1935,2695,4695,4785,1375,1084,6074,0823,8543,6283,232Working poor rate6.97.98.18.38.27.77.76.96.05.75.34.7[1] Includes individuals in families, not shown separately.[2] Primary families with at least one member in the labor force for more than half the year.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC).This report presents data on the relationship between labor force activity and poverty status in 2019 for workers and their families. These data were collected in the 2020 Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey. (For a detailed description of the source of the data and an explanation of the concepts and definitions used in the report, See the technical notes.) The specific income thresholds used to determine people’s poverty status vary depending on whether the individuals are living with family members, living alone, or living with nonrelatives. For people living with family members, the poverty threshold is determined by the family’s total income; for individuals not living in families, personal income is used as the determinant.View Chart DataChart 1. Working-poor rate of people in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 1986–2019YearTotal19866.219875.519885.419895.319905.519916.119926.319936.719946.219955.919965.819975.719985.419995.120004.720014.920025.320035.320045.620055.420065.120075.120086.020097.020107.220117.020127.120137.020146.320155.620164.920174.520184.520194.0Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).Demographic characteristicsAmong those who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more in 2019, the number of women classified as working poor (3.4 million) was higher than that of men (2.9 million). The working-poor rate also continued to be higher for women (4.5 percent) than for men (3.5 percent). The working-poor rates for both women and men declined from a year earlier. (See table 2.)Blacks and Hispanics were much more likely than Whites and Asians to be among the working poor. In 2019, the working-poor rates for Blacks and Hispanics were 7.2 percent and 7.0 percent, respectively, compared with 3.5 percent for Whites and 2.3 percent for Asians. (See table 2 and chart 2.)View Chart DataChart 2. Working-poor rates by gender, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2019GenderTotalWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or LatinoTotal4.03.57.22.37.0Men3.53.35.22.46.9Women4.53.78.92.37.1Note: People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).Among Whites and Blacks, the working-poor rate was higher for women than for men in 2019. The rates for White women and White men who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force were 3.7 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively. The rate for Black women was 8.9 percent, compared with 5.2 percent for Black men. For Asians and Hispanics, the working-poor rates for women varied slightly from those of men. The working-poor rate for Asian women was 2.3 percent, and the rate for men was 2.4 percent. Among Hispanics, the rate for women was 7.1 percent, and the rate for Hispanic men was 6.9 percent.Young workers are more likely to be poor than are workers in older age groups, in part because earnings are lower for young workers and the unemployment rate for young workers is higher. Among youths who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 7.4 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds and 7.6 percent of 20- to 24-year-olds had incomes that fell below the official poverty level in 2019. Those rates were higher than the rates for workers ages 25 to 34 (5.0 percent) and those ages 35 to 44 (4.3 percent). Workers ages 45 to 54, 55 to 64, and 65 and older had lower working-poor rates—2.9 percent, 2.6 percent, and 1.3 percent, respectively—than did those in younger age groups. (See table 2.)Educational attainmentAchieving higher levels of education reduces the incidence of living in poverty. People who complete more years of education usually have greater access to higher paying jobs—such as management, professional, and related occupations—than those with fewer years of education. Among people in the labor force for 27 weeks or more in 2019, those with less than a high school diploma had the highest working-poor rate, at 12.8 percent, while those with a bachelor’s degree or higher had the lowest, at 1.4 percent. Even though women were more likely than men to be among the working poor at all levels of educational attainment, the working-poor rates were the same for men and women with a bachelor’s degree or higher. (See table 3 and chart 3.)View Chart DataChart 3. Working-poor rates by gender and educational attainment, 2019Educational attainmentTotalMenWomenLess than a high school diploma12.812.114.0High school graduates, no college[2]5.54.47.3Some college or associate's degree4.02.95.2Bachelor's degree and higher[1]1.41.41.4[1] Includes people with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.[2] Includes people with a high school diploma or equivalent.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).For people with a bachelor’s degree and higher, all race and ethnicity groups had similar working-poor rates, ranging from 1.4 percent to 1.7 percent. For those with less than a high school diploma, the working poor rate for Asians (5.3 percent) was lower than the rates for Whites (12.4 percent), Hispanics (14.8 percent), and Blacks (17.3 percent) in 2019.OccupationThe likelihood of being among the working poor varies widely by occupation. Workers in occupations requiring higher education and characterized by relatively high earnings—such as management, professional, and related occupations—were least likely to be classified as working poor. For example, 1.4 percent of those in management, professional, and related occupations were among the working poor in 2019. By contrast, individuals employed in occupations that typically do not require high levels of education and that are characterized by relatively low earnings were more likely to be among the working poor. For instance, 8.2 percent of service workers who were in the labor force for at least 27 weeks were classified as working poor in 2019. The 2.1 million working poor employed in service occupations accounted for about one-third of all those classified as working poor. (See table 4.)For most occupational groups, women had higher working-poor rates than men. However, the rates for men and women were little different in management, professional, and related occupations (1.5 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively). For both men and women, working-poor rates were lowest in this occupational group.FamiliesIn 2019, 3.2 million families were living below the poverty level despite having at least one member in the labor force for half the year or more. This figure was down from 3.6 million in 2018. Among families with only one member in the labor force for at least 27 weeks in 2019, married-couple families were less likely to be living below the poverty level, at 5.6 percent, than were families maintained by women, at 18.9 percent, and families maintained by men, at 9.0 percent. (See table 5.)Among families with at least one member in the labor force for more than half the year, those with children in the household were much more likely to live below the poverty level than those without children. The proportion of families with children under age 18 who lived in poverty was 7.8 percent in 2019, compared with 1.6 percent for families without children. Among families with children under 18, the working-poor rate for those maintained by women (20.3 percent) was higher than the rate for those maintained by men (9.0 percent). Married-couple families with children under 18 had a working-poor rate of 4.0 percent in 2019.Unrelated individualsThe “unrelated individuals” category includes individuals who live by themselves or with others not related to them. Of the 36.8 million unrelated individuals who were in the labor force for half the year or longer, 2.4 million lived below the poverty level in 2019. This measure was down from a year earlier, when the number of unrelated individuals who lived below the poverty level was 2.7 million. The working-poor rate for unrelated individuals who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more was 6.6 percent, a decrease of 0.6 percentage point from last year’s figure. (See table 6.)Within the group of unrelated individuals, teenagers continued to be most likely among the working poor. In 2019, 39.2 percent of teens (ages 16 to 19) who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more and who lived on their own or with others not related to them lived below the poverty level, little changed from the prior year. In 2019, the working-poor rates for men and women living alone or with nonrelatives were 6.1 percent and 7.3 percent, respectively. The rates for unrelated individuals were higher for Hispanics (10.1 percent) and Blacks (8.1 percent) than for Whites (6.4 percent) and Asians (4.6 percent). (See table 7.)Of the 2.4 million unrelated individuals considered to be among the working poor in 2019, about 3 out of 5 lived with others. These individuals had a higher working-poor rate than individuals who lived alone. Many unrelated individuals living below the poverty level may live with others out of necessity. By contrast, many of those who live alone do so because they have sufficient income to support themselves. Unrelated individuals’ poverty status, however, is determined by each person’s resources. The pooling of resources and sharing of living expenses may permit some individuals in this category—who are technically classified as poor—to live at a higher standard than they would have if they lived alone.Labor market problemsAs noted earlier, people who usually work full time are less likely to live in poverty than are those who work part time, yet there remains a sizable group of full-time workers who live below the poverty threshold. Among those who participated in the labor force for 27 weeks or more and usually worked in full-time wage and salary jobs, 3.0 million, or 2.4 percent, were classified as working poor in 2019. Both measures are down from the previous year. (See table 8.)There are three major labor market problems that can hinder a worker’s ability to earn an income that is above the poverty threshold: low earnings, periods of unemployment, and involuntary part-time employment. (See the technical notes section for detailed definitions.)In 2019, 80 percent of the working poor who usually work full time experienced at least one of the major labor market problems. Low earnings continued to be the most common problem, with 67 percent subject to low earnings, either as the only problem or in combination with other labor market problems. Twenty-seven percent experienced unemployment as the main labor market problem or in conjunction with other problems. Three percent of the working poor experienced all three problems: low earnings, unemployment, and involuntary part-time employment. (See table 8.)Some 604,000, or 20 percent, of the working poor who usually worked full time did not experience any of the three primary labor market problems in 2019. Their classification as working poor may be explained by other factors, including short-term employment, some weeks of voluntary part-time work, or a family structure that increases the risk of poverty.Notes
			
 
 
 1 “Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019,” *Current Population Reports*, P60–266 (U.S. Census Bureau, September 2020), https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-270.pdf.
 2 People of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race.
	
	
	 
	 Statistical Tables
        
                                                                


Table 1. People in the labor force: poverty status and work experience by weeks in the labor force, 2019 (Numbers in thousands)
Poverty status and work experience
Total in labor force
27 weeks or more in labor forceTotal
50 to 52 weeksTOTAL, 16 YEARS AND OLDERTotal in the labor force
170,663
157,769
144,235Did not work during the year
2,030
959
794Worked during the year
168,632
156,810
143,441Usual full-time workers
136,229
131,555
124,015Usual part-time workers
32,404
25,255
19,426Involuntary part-time workers
5,765
5,037
4,079Voluntary part-time workers
26,638
20,218
15,347At or above poverty levelTotal in the labor force
162,360
151,451
139,082Did not work during the year
1,338
615
495Worked during the year
161,023
150,837
138,588Usual full-time workers
132,110
128,068
121,023Usual part-time workers
28,912
22,768
17,564Involuntary part-time workers
4,738
4,190
3,398Voluntary part-time workers
24,174
18,578
14,166Below poverty levelTotal in the labor force
8,302
6,318
5,153Did not work during the year
693
345
299Worked during the year
7,610
5,973
4,854Usual full-time workers
4,118
3,486
2,992Usual part-time workers
3,491
2,486
1,862Involuntary part-time workers
1,028
846
681Voluntary part-time workers
2,464
1,640
1,181RATE[1]Total in the labor force
4.9
4.0
3.6Did not work during the year
34.1
35.9
37.7Worked during the year
4.5
3.8
3.4Usual full-time workers
3.0
2.7
2.4Usual part-time workers
10.8
9.8
9.6Involuntary part-time workers
17.8
16.8
16.7Voluntary part-time workers
9.2
8.1
7.7[1] Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Table 2. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status by age, gender, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2019 (Numbers in thousands)
Age and gender
Total
Below poverty level
Rate[1]Total
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
Total
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
Total
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or LatinoTotal, 16 years and older
157,769
122,238
19,891
10,186
28,057
6,318
4,296
1,433
239
1,964
4.0
3.5
7.2
2.3
7.016 to 19 years
3,678
2,834
467
132
865
273
173
53
11
80
7.4
6.1
11.4
8.6
9.220 to 24 years
12,926
9,751
1,836
602
3,110
977
659
210
45
263
7.6
6.8
11.5
7.4
8.525 to 34 years
36,215
26,793
5,266
2,619
7,212
1,800
1,141
514
57
462
5.0
4.3
9.8
2.2
6.435 to 44 years
33,679
25,633
4,316
2,537
6,691
1,447
1,012
303
46
565
4.3
3.9
7.0
1.8
8.445 to 54 years
32,245
25,061
4,028
2,224
5,735
940
667
200
39
374
2.9
2.7
5.0
1.8
6.555 to 64 years
27,882
22,819
2,955
1,504
3,450
739
543
124
32
181
2.6
2.4
4.2
2.1
5.265 years and older
11,144
9,347
1,023
568
993
143
103
28
9
39
1.3
1.1
2.7
1.5
3.9Men, 16 years and older
83,510
66,048
9,253
5,445
15,814
2,948
2,191
482
130
1,090
3.5
3.3
5.2
2.4
6.916 to 19 years
1,894
1,467
190
85
459
128
94
14
6
41
6.8
6.4
7.6
6.6
8.920 to 24 years
6,643
5,106
891
285
1,656
456
319
96
23
124
6.9
6.3
10.7
8.0
7.525 to 34 years
19,307
14,557
2,540
1,428
4,134
741
560
119
30
247
3.8
3.8
4.7
2.1
6.035 to 44 years
18,090
14,168
1,970
1,357
3,868
744
561
118
21
355
4.1
4.0
6.0
1.6
9.245 to 54 years
16,721
13,245
1,838
1,165
3,183
457
343
74
26
198
2.7
2.6
4.0
2.2
6.255 to 64 years
14,617
12,159
1,354
809
1,942
344
254
51
15
102
2.4
2.1
3.8
1.9
5.365 years and older
6,238
5,346
470
315
573
79
59
10
9
24
1.3
1.1
2.2
2.7
4.1Women, 16 years and older
74,259
56,190
10,639
4,741
12,243
3,370
2,106
951
109
874
4.5
3.7
8.9
2.3
7.116 to 19 years
1,784
1,367
277
48
407
145
79
39
6
39
8.1
5.8
14.0
-
9.520 to 24 years
6,283
4,645
945
317
1,454
521
340
115
22
140
8.3
7.3
12.1
6.9
9.625 to 34 years
16,908
12,236
2,726
1,191
3,079
1,059
581
395
26
215
6.3
4.7
14.5
2.2
7.035 to 44 years
15,589
11,465
2,345
1,180
2,823
703
450
186
25
210
4.5
3.9
7.9
2.1
7.445 to 54 years
15,524
11,816
2,190
1,059
2,552
484
324
126
13
176
3.1
2.7
5.7
1.2
6.955 to 64 years
13,265
10,660
1,601
695
1,508
395
289
73
17
79
3.0
2.7
4.6
2.4
5.265 years and older
4,906
4,001
554
253
420
64
44
18
-
15
1.3
1.1
3.2
-
3.7[1]Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.
Note: Estimates for the race groups shown (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. Dash represents zero, rounds to zero, or indicates that base is less than 80,000.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Table 3. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status by educational attainment, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and gender, 2019 (Numbers in thousands)
Educational attainment, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Total
Men
Women
Below poverty level
Rate[1]Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
WomenTotal, 16 years and older
157,769
83,510
74,259
6,318
2,948
3,370
4.0
3.5
4.5Less than a high school diploma
11,344
7,027
4,317
1,452
848
604
12.8
12.1
14.0Less than 1 year of high school
3,614
2,383
1,231
545
362
183
15.1
15.2
14.91–3 years of high school
5,844
3,529
2,316
669
353
316
11.4
10.0
13.64 years of high school, no diploma
1,885
1,115
770
238
133
105
12.6
11.9
13.7High school graduates, no college[2]
40,099
23,732
16,367
2,225
1,037
1,188
5.5
4.4
7.3Some college or associate's degree
43,273
21,734
21,538
1,752
639
1,113
4.0
2.9
5.2Some college, no degree
26,040
13,501
12,539
1,202
419
782
4.6
3.1
6.2Associate's degree
17,233
8,234
8,999
550
220
330
3.2
2.7
3.7Bachelor's degree and higher[3]
63,054
31,017
32,037
888
424
464
1.4
1.4
1.4White, 16 years and older
122,238
66,048
56,190
4,296
2,191
2,106
3.5
3.3
3.7Less than a high school diploma
8,963
5,724
3,239
1,111
698
413
12.4
12.2
12.7Less than 1 year of high school
3,036
2,057
979
484
324
161
16.0
15.7
16.41–3 years of high school
4,549
2,819
1,731
479
287
192
10.5
10.2
11.14 years of high school, no diploma
1,378
848
529
147
87
60
10.7
10.2
11.4High school graduates, no college[2]
30,865
18,748
12,117
1,376
719
657
4.5
3.8
5.4Some college or associate's degree
33,712
17,321
16,390
1,122
444
678
3.3
2.6
4.1Some college, no degree
19,828
10,506
9,322
767
296
471
3.9
2.8
5.1Associate's degree
13,883
6,815
7,068
355
148
207
2.6
2.2
2.9Bachelor's degree and higher[3]
48,698
24,254
24,444
687
329
358
1.4
1.4
1.5Black or African American, 16 years and older
19,891
9,253
10,639
1,433
482
951
7.2
5.2
8.9Less than a high school diploma
1,304
658
646
225
94
131
17.3
14.3
20.3Less than 1 year of high school
236
123
113
17
14
3
7.2
11.6
2.31–3 years of high school
737
380
356
135
45
91
18.4
11.8
25.44 years of high school, no diploma
332
155
176
73
35
38
22.0
22.7
21.5High school graduates, no college[2]
6,190
3,316
2,873
673
247
426
10.9
7.4
14.8Some college or associate's degree
6,252
2,760
3,492
445
121
324
7.1
4.4
9.3Some college, no degree
4,065
1,874
2,191
304
73
231
7.5
3.9
10.5Associate's degree
2,187
886
1,301
141
48
93
6.5
5.4
7.2Bachelor's degree and higher[3]
6,146
2,518
3,628
90
20
70
1.5
0.8
1.9Asian, 16 years and older
10,186
5,445
4,741
239
130
109
2.3
2.4
2.3Less than a high school diploma
547
315
232
29
14
15
5.3
4.5
6.3Less than 1 year of high school
206
106
100
14
7
7
7.0
6.6
7.31–3 years of high school
242
143
99
7
2
5
2.9
1.4
5.04 years of high school, no diploma
99
66
33
7
5
2
7.5
-
-High school graduates, no college[2]
1,458
778
680
42
19
23
2.9
2.5
3.3Some college or associate's degree
1,536
773
764
74
29
45
4.8
3.7
5.9Some college, no degree
942
494
448
52
21
31
5.5
4.2
7.0Associate's degree
594
278
316
22
8
14
3.7
2.9
4.3Bachelor's degree and higher[3]
6,645
3,579
3,066
95
68
27
1.4
1.9
0.9Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 16 years and older
28,057
15,814
12,243
1,964
1,090
874
7.0
6.9
7.1Less than a high school diploma
5,885
3,771
2,114
873
547
326
14.8
14.5
15.4Less than 1 year of high school
2,792
1,881
911
452
294
158
16.2
15.6
17.31–3 years of high school
2,340
1,445
895
317
200
117
13.5
13.8
13.14 years of high school, no diploma
753
445
308
104
53
51
13.9
12.0
16.5High school graduates, no college[2]
8,831
5,399
3,432
653
356
297
7.4
6.6
8.7Some college or associate's degree
7,367
3,772
3,594
336
143
193
4.6
3.8
5.4Some college, no degree
4,724
2,468
2,256
239
103
136
5.1
4.2
6.0Associate's degree
2,643
1,304
1,339
98
40
57
3.7
3.1
4.3Bachelor's degree and higher[3]
5,974
2,871
3,103
102
45
57
1.7
1.6
1.9[1]Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.
[2]Includes people with a high school diploma or equivalent.
[3]Includes people with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.
Note: Estimates for the race groups shown (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. Dash represents zero, rounds to zero, or indicates that base is less than 80,000.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Table 4. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more who worked during the year: poverty status by occupation of longest job held, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and gender, 2019 (Numbers in thousands)
Occupation, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Total
Men
Women
Below poverty level
Rate[1]Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
WomenTotal, 16 years and older[2]
156,810
82,965
73,844
5,973
2,768
3,205
3.8
3.3
4.3Management, professional, and related occupations
66,000
31,651
34,349
920
392
528
1.4
1.2
1.5Management, business, and financial operations occupations
27,881
15,005
12,876
355
196
158
1.3
1.3
1.2Professional and related occupations
38,120
16,647
21,473
565
196
369
1.5
1.2
1.7Service occupations
25,777
11,055
14,722
2,119
682
1,437
8.2
6.2
9.8Sales and office occupations
30,935
11,562
19,373
1,188
311
877
3.8
2.7
4.5Sales and related occupations
14,611
7,287
7,324
684
200
484
4.7
2.7
6.6Office and administrative support occupations
16,324
4,275
12,049
504
111
393
3.1
2.6
3.3Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations
14,316
13,448
868
788
718
70
5.5
5.3
8.1Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
1,196
907
289
135
95
40
11.2
10.5
13.7Construction and extraction occupations
8,286
7,904
382
513
490
23
6.2
6.2
5.9Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
4,834
4,637
197
141
133
8
2.9
2.9
4.0Production, transportation, and material-moving occupations
19,644
15,147
4,498
951
658
293
4.8
4.3
6.5Production occupations
8,146
5,878
2,268
307
187
120
3.8
3.2
5.3Transportation and material-moving occupations
11,499
9,269
2,230
645
471
174
5.6
5.1
7.8White, 16 years and older[2]
121,712
65,737
55,975
4,118
2,074
2,044
3.4
3.2
3.7Management, professional, and related occupations
52,039
25,369
26,670
669
300
369
1.3
1.2
1.4Management, business, and financial operations occupations
22,820
12,689
10,131
277
160
118
1.2
1.3
1.2Professional and related occupations
29,219
12,680
16,538
391
140
251
1.3
1.1
1.5Service occupations
18,475
8,109
10,366
1,404
495
909
7.6
6.1
8.8Sales and office occupations
24,183
9,160
15,022
780
243
537
3.2
2.7
3.6Sales and related occupations
11,647
5,966
5,682
448
147
301
3.8
2.5
5.3Office and administrative support occupations
12,535
3,195
9,341
332
96
236
2.7
3.0
2.5Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations
12,313
11,610
703
684
627
56
5.6
5.4
8.0Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
1,047
807
240
120
89
31
11.4
11.0
13.0Construction and extraction occupations
7,204
6,884
320
451
431
20
6.3
6.3
6.4Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
4,062
3,919
143
113
108
5
2.8
2.8
3.4Production, transportation, and material-moving occupations
14,602
11,417
3,185
581
409
172
4.0
3.6
5.4Production occupations
6,387
4,747
1,640
193
124
70
3.0
2.6
4.2Transportation and material-moving occupations
8,215
6,670
1,545
388
286
103
4.7
4.3
6.7Black or African American, 16 years and older[2]
19,562
9,078
10,484
1,300
440
860
6.6
4.8
8.2Management, professional, and related occupations
6,429
2,397
4,032
162
43
119
2.5
1.8
2.9Management, business, and financial operations occupations
2,430
990
1,439
57
29
28
2.3
2.9
2.0Professional and related occupations
3,999
1,406
2,593
105
15
91
2.6
1.0
3.5Service occupations
4,586
1,816
2,770
499
115
384
10.9
6.4
13.9Sales and office occupations
4,035
1,265
2,770
303
38
265
7.5
3.0
9.6Sales and related occupations
1,602
640
962
170
30
141
10.6
4.7
14.6Office and administrative support occupations
2,433
625
1,808
133
9
124
5.5
1.4
6.9Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations
1,150
1,060
90
59
50
9
5.1
4.8
9.6Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
93
61
33
8
1
6
8.1
-
-Construction and extraction occupations
629
597
32
41
41
-
6.5
6.8
-Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
428
402
25
11
8
3
2.6
2.1
-Production, transportation, and material-moving occupations
3,331
2,515
816
271
186
84
8.1
7.4
10.3Production occupations
1,052
694
358
79
48
31
7.5
6.9
8.6Transportation and material-moving occupations
2,279
1,821
458
192
139
54
8.4
7.6
11.7Asian, 16 years and older[2]
10,157
5,430
4,727
231
122
109
2.3
2.2
2.3Management, professional, and related occupations
5,633
3,060
2,573
51
43
8
0.9
1.4
0.3Management, business, and financial operations occupations
1,842
955
887
6
6
-
0.3
0.7
-Professional and related occupations
3,791
2,104
1,687
45
36
8
1.2
1.7
0.5Service occupations
1,589
652
937
95
31
64
6.0
4.7
6.8Sales and office occupations
1,624
743
881
47
20
27
2.9
2.7
3.1Sales and related occupations
823
464
359
25
14
11
3.0
3.0
3.0Office and administrative support occupations
802
279
523
22
6
16
2.8
2.2
3.1Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations
345
302
43
10
7
2
2.8
2.5
-Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
24
17
8
2
2
-
-
-
-Construction and extraction occupations
155
135
20
3
-
2
1.7
0.3
-Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
165
150
15
5
5
-
3.2
3.5
-Production, transportation, and material-moving occupations
962
669
293
28
21
7
2.9
3.1
2.4Production occupations
459
272
187
8
2
6
1.6
0.6
3.1Transportation and material-moving occupations
503
397
105
20
19
1
4.1
4.8
1.2Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 16 years and older[2]
27,842
15,690
12,153
1,885
1,051
834
6.8
6.7
6.9Management, professional, and related occupations
6,761
3,133
3,628
99
28
71
1.5
0.9
2.0Management, business, and financial operations occupations
2,909
1,493
1,416
48
19
30
1.7
1.3
2.1Professional and related occupations
3,851
1,640
2,212
51
9
42
1.3
0.6
1.9Service occupations
6,643
2,954
3,689
704
283
421
10.6
9.6
11.4Sales and office occupations
5,325
2,014
3,311
292
75
217
5.5
3.7
6.6Sales and related occupations
2,367
1,084
1,284
178
51
127
7.5
4.7
9.9Office and administrative support occupations
2,958
930
2,027
114
23
91
3.9
2.5
4.5Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations
4,485
4,169
316
463
427
35
10.3
10.3
11.2Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
562
395
167
83
59
24
14.8
14.9
14.5Construction and extraction occupations
2,918
2,797
121
314
303
11
10.8
10.8
9.3Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
1,005
976
29
65
65
-
6.5
6.7
-Production, transportation, and material-moving occupations
4,612
3,407
1,205
327
238
89
7.1
7.0
7.4Production occupations
1,896
1,272
624
136
86
50
7.2
6.8
8.0Transportation and material-moving occupations
2,716
2,135
581
190
152
39
7.0
7.1
6.6[1]Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more who worked during the year.
[2]Estimates for the occupational groups do not sum to totals because data includes the long-term unemployed with no previous work experience and a small number of people whose last job was in the Armed Forces.
Note: Estimates for the race groups shown (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. Dash represents zero, rounds to zero, or indicates that base is less than 80,000.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Table 5. Primary families: poverty status, presence of related children, and work experience of family members in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 2019 (Numbers in thousands)
Characteristic
Total families
At or above poverty level
Below poverty level
Rate[1]TOTAL PRIMARY FAMILIESTotal
68,318
65,086
3,232
4.7With related children under 18 years
34,175
31,493
2,681
7.8Without children
34,144
33,593
551
1.6With one member in the labor force
28,345
25,568
2,777
9.8With two or more members in the labor force
39,974
39,518
455
1.1With two members
33,163
32,743
420
1.3With three or more members
6,811
6,775
35
0.5Married-couple families[2]Total
50,656
49,435
1,222
2.4With related children under 18 years
24,180
23,213
966
4.0Without children
26,477
26,221
255
1.0With one member in the labor force
16,901
15,960
941
5.6Husband
11,599
10,854
745
6.4Wife
4,408
4,284
124
2.8Relative
895
823
72
8.1With two or more members in the labor force
33,755
33,474
281
0.8With two members
28,333
28,079
255
0.9With three or more members
5,422
5,395
26
0.5Families maintained by women[3]Total
12,004
10,335
1,669
13.9With related children under 18 years
7,207
5,744
1,463
20.3Without children
4,798
4,592
206
4.3With one member in the labor force
8,129
6,591
1,538
18.9Householder
6,502
5,174
1,328
20.4Relative
1,627
1,417
210
12.9With two or more members in the labor force
3,875
3,744
131
3.4Families maintained by men[3]Total
5,658
5,316
341
6.0With related children under 18 years
2,788
2,537
252
9.0Without children
2,869
2,780
90
3.1With one member in the labor force
3,314
3,017
297
9.0Householder
2653
2412
241
9.1Relative
661
604
56
8.5With two or more members in the labor force
2343
2300
44
1.9[1] Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.
[2] Beginning with data for 2018, includes both opposite-sex and same-sex married-couple families. Prior to 2018, included opposite-sex married-couple families only.
[3] Beginning with data for 2018, includes families with no spouse of either sex present. Prior to 2018, included only families with no opposite-sex spouse present.
Note: Data relate to primary families with at least one member in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Table 6. People in families and unrelated individuals: poverty status and work experience, 2019 (Numbers in thousands)
Poverty status and work experience
Total
In married-couple families[1]
In families maintained by women[2]
In families maintained by men[2]
Unrelated individualsHusbands
Wives
Related children under 18 years
Other relatives
Householder
Related children under 18 years
Other relatives
Householder
Related children under 18 years
Other relativesTOTAL, 16 YEARS AND OLDERAll people
259,757
61,577
62,350
5,589
23,771
14,815
2,018
14,671
6,486
711
7,250
60,521With labor force activity
170,663
45,804
38,617
1,505
15,263
10,486
504
9,141
5,027
174
4,694
39,4471 to 26 weeks
12,894
1,426
2,495
815
2,659
624
260
1,179
278
98
418
2,64227 weeks or more
157,769
44,378
36,122
689
12,604
9,862
245
7,962
4,749
76
4,276
36,805With no labor force activity
89,095
15,773
23,733
4,084
8,507
4,329
1,513
5,529
1,459
537
2,556
21,074At or above poverty levelAll people
235,318
59,122
59,833
5,336
22,969
11,518
1,506
12,815
5,742
620
6,710
49,148With labor force activity
162,360
44,693
38,097
1,479
14,991
8,766
441
8,539
4,660
163
4,542
35,9901 to 26 weeks
10,909
1,322
2,343
805
2,572
329
226
1,020
191
92
379
1,62927 weeks or more
151,451
43,371
35,753
674
12,419
8,438
215
7,519
4,469
71
4,163
34,360With no labor force activity
72,958
14,429
21,736
3,857
7,978
2,752
1,065
4,276
1,081
457
2,168
13,158Below poverty levelAll people
24,439
2,455
2,517
253
802
3,297
512
1,855
744
91
541
11,373With labor force activity
8,302
1,111
521
26
272
1,720
64
602
366
11
152
3,4571 to 26 weeks
1,985
103
152
11
87
295
34
159
86
6
39
1,01227 weeks or more
6,318
1,008
369
15
186
1,424
30
443
280
5
113
2,445With no labor force activity
16,136
1,343
1,996
227
529
1,577
448
1,253
378
80
389
7,916RATE[3]All people
9.4
4.0
4.0
4.5
3.4
22.3
25.4
12.6
11.5
12.8
7.5
18.8With labor force activity
4.9
2.4
1.3
1.7
1.8
16.4
12.6
6.6
7.3
6.4
3.2
8.81 to 26 weeks
15.4
7.3
6.1
1.3
3.3
47.3
13.0
13.5
31.0
6.4
9.3
38.327 weeks or more
4.0
2.3
1.0
2.2
1.5
14.4
12.2
5.6
5.9
6.4
2.6
6.6With no labor force activity
18.1
8.5
8.4
5.6
6.2
36.4
29.6
22.7
25.9
14.9
15.2
37.6[1]Beginning with data for 2018, includes people in both opposite-sex and same-sex married-couple families. Prior to 2018, included opposite-sex married-couple families only.
[2]Beginning with data for 2018, includes people in families with no spouse of either sex present. Prior to 2018, included only families with no opposite-sex spouse present.
[3]Number below the poverty level as a percentage of the total.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Table 7. Unrelated individuals in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status by age, gender, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and living arrangement, 2019 (Numbers in thousands)
Characteristic
Total
At or above poverty level
Below poverty level
Rate[1]Age and genderTotal unrelated individuals
36,805
34,360
2,445
6.616 to 19 years
315
191
123
39.220 to 24 years
3,907
3,297
611
15.625 to 64 years
29,631
27,985
1,645
5.665 years and older
2,952
2,887
65
2.2Men
19,932
18,721
1,211
6.1Women
16,873
15,639
1,234
7.3Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicityWhite
28,256
26,450
1,805
6.4Men
15,603
14,686
917
5.9Women
12,653
11,765
888
7.0Black or African American
5,284
4,858
425
8.1Men
2,531
2,344
186
7.4Women
2,753
2,514
239
8.7Asian
1,829
1,745
85
4.6Men
994
953
41
4.1Women
835
792
43
5.2Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
5,467
4,914
553
10.1Men
3,357
3,052
305
9.1Women
2,110
1,863
248
11.7Living arrangementLiving alone
19,108
18,149
959
5.0Living with others
17,697
16,211
1,486
8.4[1]Number below the poverty level as percent of total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.
Note: Estimates for the race groups shown (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: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Table 8. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status and labor market problems of full-time wage and salary workers, 2019 (Numbers in thousands)
Labor market problems
Total
At or above poverty level
Below poverty level
Rate[1]Total, full-time wage and salary workers
125,213
122,170
3,043
2.4No unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, or low earnings[2]
108,680
108,076
604
0.6Workers experiencing one labor market problemUnemployment only
4,901
4,619
283
5.8Involuntary part-time employment only
2,674
2,609
65
2.4Low earnings only
6,318
4,910
1,408
22.3Workers experiencing multiple labor market problemsUnemployment and involuntary part-time employment
902
840
62
6.9Unemployment and low earnings
959
587
372
38.8Involuntary part-time employment and low earnings
514
357
157
30.6Unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, and low earnings
265
172
93
34.9Workers experiencing each labor market problemUnemployment (alone or with other problems)
7,027
6,218
809
11.5Involuntary part-time employment (alone or with other problems)
4,354
3,978
376
8.6Low earnings (alone or with other problems)
8,056
6,026
2,030
25.2[1]Number below the poverty level as percent of total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.
[2]The low-earnings threshold in 2019 was $369.59 per week.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Technical Notes
     
The data presented in this report were collected in the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS). Conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the CPS is a monthly sample survey of about 60,000 eligible households. Data from the CPS are used to obtain monthly estimates of the nation’s employment and unemployment levels. The ASEC, conducted in the months of February through April, includes questions about work activity and income during the previous calendar year. For instance, data collected in 2020 are for the 2019 calendar year. The 2019 data in this report are based on fewer sample responses than in recent years. The collection period for these data coincided with the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; because in-person interviews were suspended during the collection period, the response rate for the survey was about 10 percentage points lower than in the previous year. For more information about the impact of the pandemic on ASEC data collection, see “Income and poverty in the United States: 2019,” *Current Population Reports*, P60-270 (U.S. Census Bureau, September 2020), www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-270.pdf.
Estimates in this report are based on a sample and, consequently, may differ from estimates that would have been obtained from a complete count using the same questionnaire and procedures. Sampling variability may be relatively large in cases where the numbers are small. Thus, both small estimates and small differences between estimates should be interpreted with caution. For a detailed explanation of the ASEC supplement to the CPS, its sampling variability, more extensive definitions than those provided here, and additional information about income and poverty measures, see “Income and poverty in the United States: 2019,” *Current Population Reports*, P60-270 (U.S. Census Bureau, September 2020), www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-270.pdf.
Material in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission.
Upon request, the information in this report is available to individuals who are sensory impaired. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.
For more information on the data provided in this report, contact the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Labor Force Statistics. Email: cpsinfo@bls.gov; Telephone: (202) 691-6378.
Concepts and definitions
*Poverty classification*statistics presented in this report are based on definitions developed by the Social Security Administration in 1964 and revised by federal interagency committees in 1969 and 1981. These definitions originally were based on the Department of Agriculture’s Economy Food Plan and reflected the different consumption requirements of families on the basis of factors, such as family size and the number of children under 18 years of age.
The actual poverty thresholds vary with the makeup of the family. In 2019, the weighted average poverty threshold for a family of four was $26,172; for a family of nine or more people, the threshold was $52,875; and for one person (unrelated individual), it was $13,011. Poverty thresholds are updated each year to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). Thresholds do not vary geographically. For more information, see “Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019,”www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-270.pdf.
The*low-earnings* level, as first developed in 1987, represented the average of the real value of the minimum wage between 1967 and 1987 for a 40-hour workweek. The year 1967 was chosen as the base year because that was the first year in which minimum-wage legislation covered essentially the same broad group of workers that currently is covered. The low-earnings level has been adjusted each year since then in accordance with the CPI-U, so the measure maintains the same real value that it held in 1987. In 2019, the low-earnings threshold was $376.28 per week. For a complete definition, see Bruce W. Klein and Philip L. Rones, “A profile of the working poor,” *Monthly Labor Review*, October 1989, pp. 3–11, www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1989/10/art1full.pdf.
Data on *income* are limited to money income—before personal income taxes and payroll deductions—received in the calendar year preceding the CPS supplement. Data on income do not include the value of noncash benefits, such as food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, public housing, and employer-provided benefits. For a complete definition of income, see “Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019,” www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-270.pdf.
The *labor force* refers to people who worked or looked for work sometime during the calendar year. The number of weeks in the labor force is accumulated over the entire year. The focus in this report is on people who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.
The *working poor* are people who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force (that is, working or looking for work) but whose incomes still fell below the official poverty level.
The*working-poor rate* is the number of individuals in the labor force for at least 27 weeks whose incomes still fell below the official poverty level, as a percentage of all people who were in the labor force for at least 27 weeks during the calendar year.
*Involuntary part-time workers* are people who, during at least 1 week of the year, worked fewer than 35 hours because of slack work, unfavorable business conditions, or because they could not find full-time work. The number of weeks of involuntary part-time work is accumulated over the year.
*Occupation* refers to the job in which a person worked the most weeks during the calendar year.
*Unemployed* people are those who looked for work while not employed or those who were on layoff from a job and were expecting to be recalled to that job. The number of weeks unemployed is accumulated over the entire year.
The *householder* is the family reference person. This is the person, or one of the people, in whose name the housing unit is owned or rented. The relationships of the other individuals in the household are defined in terms of their relationships to the householder. The race or Hispanic ethnicity of the family is determined by that of the householder.
A *family* is a group of two or more people residing together who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption; all such people are considered members of one family. Families include those with or without children under 18 years old. The count of families is for “primary” families only. A primary family consists of a householder and all other people related to and residing with the householder. Sub-families are excluded from the count of families. A sub-family is a family that does not maintain its own household, but lives in the home of someone else. Family status is determined at the time of the survey interview and, thus, may be different from that of the previous year. Families are further categorized as follows:
Married-couple families refer to opposite-sex and same-sex married couples residing together and any of their family members residing in the household.
Families maintained by men or women are made up of householders residing with one or more family members, but with no spouse of either sex present. Unmarried domestic partners of either sex may or may not be present in the household.Beginning in 2018, the definition of married couples in this report includes both opposite-sex and same-sex married couples. Prior to 2018, married-couple families included opposite-sex married-couple families only. Therefore, beginning in 2018, estimates for married-couple families and families maintained by men or women may not be comparable to those from prior years because of the change in the definition of marital status.
*Unrelated individuals* are people who are not living with anyone related to them by birth, marriage, or adoption. Such individuals may live alone or live with other individuals to whom they may not be related. Beginning in 2018, estimates for unrelated individuals may not be comparable to those from prior years because of the change in the definition of marital status.
*Related children* refer to children under age 18 who are living in the household and are related to the householder. Included are own children (sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children) of the husband, wife, or person maintaining the family, as well as other children related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. Beginning in 2018, estimates for related children may not be comparable to those from prior years because of the change in the definition of marital status.
*Race* is reported by the household respondent. White, Black or African American, and Asian are categories used to describe the race of people. People in these categories are those who selected that race group only. Data for the two remaining race categories—American Indian and Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander—and for people who selected more than one race category are included in totals, but are not shown separately because the number of survey respondents is too small to develop estimates of sufficient quality for publication.
*Hispanic or Latino ethnicity* refers to people who identified themselves in the survey as being of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish ethnicity. People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Facebook
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