1

A Profile of the Working

Poor, 2002

U.S. Department of Labor

Bureau of Labor Statistics

September 2004

Report 976

I

n 2002, 34.6 million persons, or 12.1 percent of the population, lived at or below the official poverty level—1.7 million more than in 2001. Most of the poor were children, or

adults who did not participate in the labor force during the

year. Yet some 7.4 million were classified as the “working

poor,” about 560,000 higher than in 2001. The working poor

are those who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force—

working or looking for work—but whose incomes fell below

the official poverty level. Of all persons who worked 27 weeks

or more, 5.3 percent were classified among the working poor

in 2002, up by 0.4 percentage point from the previous year.

The poverty rate for those who worked 27 weeks or more

increased from its recent low of 4.7 percent in 2000 to 5.3

percent in 2002; however, it was still below the series peak of

6.7 percent in 1993. (See tables A and 1, and chart 1.)

Additional highlights from the 2002 data include:

• Among persons in the labor force for 27 weeks or more

in 2002, 3.8 percent of those usually employed full time were

classified as working poor, compared with 10.9 percent of

part-time workers.

• Although working full time substantially lowers a

person’s probability of being poor, nearly 2 in 3 of the

working poor who worked during 2002 usually worked full

time.

• In 2002, 7.6 percent of the working poor actively

searched for a job for more than 6 months without finding

any work, up from 5.6 percent in 2001 and 4.7 percent in

2000.

This report presents data on the relationship between

labor force activity and poverty in 2002 for workers and

their families. The specific income thresholds used to

determine persons’ poverty status differ, depending on

whether the individuals are living with family members or

are living alone or with nonrelatives. For those living with

family members, the poverty threshold is determined by their

family’s total income; for persons not living in families, their

personal income is used as the determinant. Thus, for

persons living in family situations, earnings from their

employment are only one factor in their poverty status. Other

important factors include the earnings of others in the family,

other sources of income that family members might have,

and the size of the family.

The data were collected in the 2003 Annual Social and

Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey.

For a more detailed description of the source of the data and

an explanation of the concepts and definitions used in this

report, see the Technical Note.

Demographic characteristics

In 2002, the proportion of those who were in the labor force

for 27 weeks or more who were classified as working poor

continued to be higher for women than for men—6.0 versus

4.7 percent. (See table 2.) Over the year, these proportions

edged up by 0.5 and 0.3 percentage point, respectively.

However, both rates remained lower than they had been in

the early 1990s. In 1993, for example, the rates were 7.3

percent for women and 6.2 percent for men.

The proportion who were in poverty was higher among

women who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more

than among men for all of the major racial and ethnic groups,

with the exception of Asian workers, for whom the rates

were about the same. The incidence of poverty among

working black women was about twice that of their male

counterparts, while the rates for white and Hispanic women

were only 0.5 percentage point greater than those for their

male counterparts. This is in part because black women are

Table A. Poverty status of persons and primary families in

the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 2000-2002

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic 2000 2001 2002 1

Total persons2 ................ 137,398 138,143 139,728

In poverty ................... 6,483 6,802 7,359

Poverty rate ................ 4.7 4.9 5.3

Unrelated individuals ..... 29,258 29,387 29,847

In poverty ................... 2,238 2,388 2,584

Poverty rate ................ 7.6 8.1 8.7

Primary families3 ............ 61,879 62,251 63,352

In poverty ................... 3,492 3,697 3,973

Poverty rate ................ 5.6 5.9 6.3

1 Data for 2002, which were collected in the 2003 Annual Social

and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey, are

not strictly comparable with data for 2001 and earlier years

because of the introduction in January 2003 of revised population

controls used in the survey.

2 Includes persons in families, not shown separately.

3

 Primary families with at least one member in the labor force for

more than half of the year.

Errors were found in this report; data in table 4 were corrected. More information is at www.bls.gov/bls/errata/corrected-working-poor-data.htm.
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far more likely to head families alone than are women in other

racial and ethnic groups.

In 2002, about 71 percent of the working poor were white.

However, the proportions classified as working poor for

blacks (10.5 percent) and Hispanics or Latinos (10.4 percent)

continued to be about twice those of whites (4.5 percent)

and Asians (4.6 percent). (See table 2.)

Young workers are more vulnerable to poverty than other

groups, in part because their earnings are lower and

unemployment is higher for them than for their older

counterparts. Among youths who were in the labor force for

27 weeks or more in 2002, 9.0 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds

and 10.2 percent of 20- to 24-year-olds were in poverty.

These rates were roughly double the rate for workers aged

35 to 44 (5.2 percent) and about triple the rate for workers 45

to 54 years of age (3.2 percent).

Black and Hispanic or Latino teenagers who were in the

labor force for 27 weeks or more were much more likely to be

in poverty. Among 16- to 19-year-olds, the proportions who

were in poverty for blacks (17.8 percent) and Hispanics or

Latinos (13.9 percent) were much higher than those for whites

(7.9 percent) and Asians (8.2 percent). (See table 2.)

Educational attainment

The incidence of living in poverty greatly diminishes as

workers achieve higher levels of education. In 2002, only 1.6

percent of college graduates who were in the labor force for

27 weeks or more were counted among the working poor,

compared with 6.1 percent of high school graduates with no

college and 14.6 percent of high school dropouts. Persons

with higher levels of education have better access to higher

paying jobs, such as managerial, professional, and related

occupations, than do those with lower levels of education.

(See table 3.)

At all major educational levels, women were more likely

than men to be among the working poor. Among whites, the

differences in the working poor rates by education between

women and men were relatively small. For example, about

5.5 percent of the white female high school graduates with

no college who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more

were among the working poor, compared with 4.7 percent of

their male counterparts. Among college graduates, the

proportions classified as working poor for white women and

men were 1.5 and 1.3 percent, respectively. In contrast, black

women without a college degree were considerably more

likely than their male counterparts to be among the working

poor. About 17.2 percent of the black women high school

graduates with no college were among the working poor,

compared with 8.0 percent of the men. Among college

graduates, however, black women were less likely than their

male counterparts to be among the working poor —2.1 and

2.4 percent, respectively.

Occupation

The likelihood of being among the working poor varies

widely by occupation. Workers in occupations requiring

higher education and characterized by relatively higher

earnings, such as managerial, professional, and related

occupations, were least likely to be classified as working

poor (2.0 percent) in 2002. On the other hand, persons

employed in occupations that usually do not require high

levels of education and that are characterized by relatively

lower earnings—such as services and natural resources,

construction, and maintenance—were more likely to be

among the working poor. For example, 10.3 percent of service

workers were classified as working poor in 2002. Service

occupations, with 2.2 million working poor, accounted for

29.3 percent of all those classified as the working poor.

Overall, 6.8 percent of workers in natural resources (farming,

fishing, and forestry), construction, and maintenance

occupations were classified as working poor. Within this

occupational group, 13.2 percent of farmworkers and 7.8

percent of construction workers were classified as working

poor. (See table 4.)

Families

Nearly 4.0 million families with at least one member in the

labor force for 27 weeks or more—6.3 percent of all such

families—lived below the poverty level in 2002. This was up

from 5.9 percent of families in the previous year. For families

with one member in the labor force for 27 weeks or more,

married-couple families had a lower incidence of poverty

(8.1 percent) than did either families maintained by single

women (21.5 percent) or families maintained by men with no

spouse present (11.8 percent). This was true regardless of

which member of the married-couple family was in the labor

force. (See table 5.)

The poverty threshold for families reflects both the total

family income and the number of family members. The more

workers a family has, the higher its income is likely to be

and, therefore, the less likely the family is to be living below

the poverty line. For example, only 0.8 percent of families

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

6.5

7.0

1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002

Chart 1. Poverty rates of persons in the labor

force for 27 weeks or more, 1987-2002

Percent
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with three or more members in the labor force for 27 weeks or

more and 2.0 percent of families with two such labor force

participants were among the working poor in 2002. In

contrast, 12.5 percent of families with only one member in

the labor force for 27 weeks or more were in poverty.

The larger the family, however, the higher the level of

income needed to keep the family out of poverty. In addition,

the presence of children can reduce the ability of one or

both of the parents to participate fully in the labor force.

Thus, working families with children, regardless of type of

family, had higher poverty rates than families without

children. The difference was greatest among families

maintained by women. Among these families, 22.3 percent

of those with children were poor in 2002, compared with 4.9

percent of those without children. (See table 5.)

Working wives are less likely than working husbands to

be poor, primarily because working wives are more likely to

be in families with a second earner, usually the husband. In

2002, 1.9 percent of married women who were in the labor

force for 27 weeks or more were in poverty, compared with

3.5 percent of married men. In comparison, 17.6 percent of

women who maintained families and who were in the labor

force for 27 weeks or more were in poverty. (See table 6.)

Unrelated individuals

Unrelated individuals are those who either live alone or live

with nonrelatives. Of the 29.8 million unrelated individuals

who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more in 2002, 8.7

percent lived below the poverty level. This was up from 8.1

percent in 2001. (See table 7.)

The living arrangements of unrelated individuals fall into

one of two types: Some live by themselves, while others

share housing with unrelated persons. Unrelated individuals

with low incomes often live with others in order to share

expenses and pool resources. Because poverty status for

unrelated individuals is determined by their personal income

and not by their household income, the poverty measure for

these unrelated individuals living with nonrelatives may

overstate their actual economic hardship. Conversely, many

of those who live alone do so because they have sufficient

incomes to support themselves. Persons living with unrelated

individuals and who were labor force participants for more

than 27 weeks in 2002 were about twice as likely as those

living alone to be poor (11.3 percent and 6.4 percent,

respectively). Teenagers who were in the labor force for 27

weeks or more and were living on their own or with others

not related to them were more vulnerable to being poor than

were other unrelated individuals. In 2002, 38.0 percent of

such teenagers lived below the poverty level.

Labor market problems

As noted earlier, persons who usually work full time are far

less likely to live in poverty than are others. 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 more than half of the year and who usually

worked in full-time wage and salary jobs, 3.6 million, or 3.3

percent, were classified as working poor in 2002. (See table

8.) This proportion has edged up from its recent low of 3.1

percent in 2000.

There are three major labor market problems that can

impede a worker’s ability to earn an income above the

poverty threshold: Low earnings, periods of unemployment,

and involuntary part-time employment. (See Technical Note

for definitions.)

In 2002, 80.9 percent of the working poor who usually

worked full time experienced at least one of these major

labor market problems. Low earnings continued to be the

most common condition encountered, with 65.4 percent

facing low earnings either alone or in conjunction with other

labor market problems. About 35 percent experienced

unemployment either alone or in conjunction with other

problems. Only 5.2 percent experienced all three problems—

low earnings, unemployment, and involuntary part-time

employment.

Some 690,000 persons, or 19.1 percent of the working

poor who usually worked full time, did not experience any of

the three primary labor market problems in 2002. 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.
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Source of data

The primary source of data in this report is the 2003 Annual

Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population

Survey (CPS). The CPS is a monthly survey of 60,000

households conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the

Bureau of Labor Statistics to collect demographic, social,

and economic information about persons 16 years of age

and older. The Annual Social and Economic Supplement is

asked of part of the CPS samples for February and April and

of the entire sample for March, comprising a total of 78,000

households. The work experience and income information

collected in the Annual Social and Economic Supplement

refers to activity in the previous calendar year.

The estimates in this report are based on a sample and,

consequently, may differ from figures 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, small estimates,

or small differences between estimates, should be interpreted

with caution. For a detailed explanation of the Annual Social

and Economic Supplement to the CPS, its sampling

variability, and more extensive definitions than those

provided below, see Poverty in the United States: 2002,

Current Population Reports, series P-60, no. 222 (U.S. Census

Bureau, September 2003). This publication also is available

on the Census Bureau Web site at http://www.census.gov/

hhes/www/poverty02.html.

Information in this report will be made available to

sensory-impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone:

(202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339. This

material is in the public domain and, with appropriate credit,

may be reproduced without permission.

For more information on the data provided in this report,

contact the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Labor

Force Statistics, Room 4675, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE.,

Washington, DC 20212; e-mail: cpsinfo@bls.gov; or

telephone: (202) 691-6378.

Comparability of estimates

The 2002 estimates in this report, which were collected in

the 2003 Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the

CPS, are not strictly comparable with data for 2001 and earlier

years because of the introduction in January 2003 of revised

population controls used in the CPS. The effect of the revised

population controls on the estimates of the working poor is

unknown. However, the effect of the new controls on the

monthly CPS estimates was to increase the January 2003

employment level by 576,000 and the unemployment level

by 38,000 relative to the December 2002 level. For additional

information, see “Revisions to the Current Population Survey

Effective in January 2003” in the February 2003 issue

of Employment and Earnings, available on the Internet at

http://www.bls.gov/cps/rvcps03.pdf.

Technical Note

Concepts and definitions

Poverty classification. Poverty 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, based on factors such as family

size and the number of children under 18 years of age.

The actual poverty thresholds vary in accordance with

the makeup of the family. In 2002, the average poverty

threshold for a family of four was $18,392; for a family of

nine or more persons, the threshold was $37,062; and for an

unrelated individual age 65 or older, it was $8,628. Poverty

thresholds are updated each year to reflect changes in the

Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). The

thresholds do not vary geographically. For more information,

see Poverty in the United States: 2002, cited above.

Low earnings. 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 base year of 1967 was chosen 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 subsequently been

adjusted each year using the CPI-U, so that the measure

maintains the same real value that it held in 1987. In 2002, the

low-earnings threshold was $264.80 per week. For a more

complete definition, see Bruce W. Klein and Philip L. Rones,

“A profile of the working poor,” Monthly Labor Review,

October 1989, pp. 3-13.

Income. Data on income are limited to money income

received in the calendar year preceding the supplement,

before personal income taxes and payroll deductions. They

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

the income concept, see Poverty in the United States: 2002,

cited above.

In the labor force. Persons in the labor force are those who

worked or looked for work sometime during the calendar

year preceding the supplement. The number of weeks in the

labor force is accumulated over the entire year. The focus in

this report is on persons in the labor force for 27 weeks or

more.

Involuntary part-time workers. These are persons who, in

at least 1 week of the year, worked fewer than 35 hours

because of slack work or business conditions or because
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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 occupation in which a person

worked the most weeks during the calendar year.

Unemployed. Unemployed persons are those who looked

for work while not employed or those who were on layoff

from a job and expecting recall. The number of weeks

unemployed is accumulated over the entire year.

Family. A family is defined as a group of two or more persons

residing together who are related by birth, marriage, or

adoption. The count of families used in this report includes

only primary families. A primary family includes the reference

person (householder) and all of the persons living in

the household who are related to the reference person.

Families are classified either as married-couple families or as

those maintained by men or women without spouses

present. Family status is determined at the time of the

interview, and thus may be different from that of the previous

year.

Unrelated individuals. These are persons who are not living

with any relatives. Such individuals may live alone, reside in

a household with others who are not relatives, or live in

group quarters with other unrelated individuals.

Related children. Data on related children refer to own

children (including sons, daughters, and step- or adopted

children) of the husband, wife, or person maintaining the

family and all other children related to the householder by

birth, marriage, or adoption.

Race. White, black or African American, and Asian are terms

used to describe the race of persons. Persons in these

categories are those who selected that race group only. Data

for the remaining race categories—American Indian or

Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders,

and persons 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. In the

enumeration process, race is determined by the household

respondent.

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. This term refers to persons

who identified themselves in the CPS enumeration process

as being Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino. Persons whose

ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any

race.
Table 1. People in the labor force: Poverty status and work experience by weeks in the labor force, 2002

(Numbers in thousands)

Poverty status and work experience Total in the labor force

27 weeks or more in the labor force

Total 50 to 52 weeks

TOTAL

Total in labor force ................................................................................ 153,411 139,728 126,569

 Did not work during the year ............................................................... 2,656 1,340 1,127

 Worked during the year ...................................................................... 150,755 138,387 125,443

 Usual full-time workers ..................................................................... 120,970 115,951 108,453

 Usual part-time workers .................................................................... 29,785 22,436 16,990

 Involuntary part-time workers ......................................................... 5,171 4,144 3,378

 Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................ 24,614 18,293 13,612

At or above poverty level

Total in labor force ................................................................................ 143,488 132,369 120,574

 Did not work during the year ............................................................... 1,665 778 648

 Worked during the year ...................................................................... 141,823 131,591 119,927

 Usual full-time workers ..................................................................... 115,609 111,594 104,742

 Usual part-time workers .................................................................... 26,215 19,997 15,185

 Involuntary part-time workers ......................................................... 3,959 3,215 2,634

 Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................ 22,256 16,782 12,550

Below poverty level

Total in labor force ................................................................................ 9,923 7,359 5,995

 Did not work during the year ............................................................... 991 562 479

 Worked during the year ...................................................................... 8,931 6,796 5,516

 Usual full-time workers ..................................................................... 5,361 4,357 3,710

 Usual part-time workers .................................................................... 3,570 2,439 1,806

 Involuntary part-time workers ......................................................... 1,212 929 744

 Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................ 2,358 1,511 1,062

Rate 1

Total in labor force ................................................................................ 6.5 5.3 4.7

 Did not work during the year ............................................................... 37.3 42.0 42.5

 Worked during the year ...................................................................... 5.9 4.9 4.4

 Usual full-time workers ..................................................................... 4.4 3.8 3.4

 Usual part-time workers .................................................................... 12.0 10.9 10.6

 Involuntary part-time workers ......................................................... 23.4 22.4 22.0

 Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................ 9.6 8.3 7.8

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

force.

 NOTE: Data refer to persons 16 years and older. Data for 2002, which

were collected in the 2003 Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the

Current Population Survey, are not stricly comparable with data for 2001

and earlier years because of the introduction in January 2003 of revised

population controls used in the survey. For additional information, see the

Technical Note and "Revisions to the Current Population Survey Effective

in January 2003" in the February 2003 issue of Employment and Earnings,

available on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/cps/rvcps03.pdf.

6
Table 2. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: Poverty status by age, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino

ethnicity, 2002

(Numbers in thousands)

Age and sex Total White 1

Black or

African

American 1

Asian 1

Hispanic

or Latino

ethnicity

Below poverty level

Total White 1

Black or

African

American 1

Asian 1

Hispanic

or Latino

ethnicity

 Total, 16 years and older .................. 139,728 115,307 15,558 5,764 17,434 7,359 5,194 1,634 263 1,821

16 to 19 years ....................................... 4,390 3,712 425 111 604 394 292 75 9 84

20 to 24 years ....................................... 13,174 10,677 1,634 451 2,403 1,340 956 288 45 285

25 to 34 years ....................................... 31,299 25,015 3,892 1,584 5,631 2,125 1,505 474 60 619

35 to 44 years ....................................... 36,008 29,273 4,358 1,562 4,647 1,858 1,267 435 79 541

45 to 54 years ....................................... 32,719 27,371 3,444 1,299 2,714 1,042 698 269 48 210

55 to 64 years ....................................... 17,263 14,927 1,470 609 1,175 485 388 71 19 63

65 years and older ................................ 4,875 4,331 335 148 259 115 88 22 4 18

 Men, 16 years and older ................... 75,198 63,204 7,148 3,149 10,564 3,514 2,696 532 145 1,083

16 to 19 years ....................................... 2,217 1,875 208 57 354 167 116 38 5 43

20 to 24 years ....................................... 7,052 5,780 796 254 1,521 577 423 107 25 155

25 to 34 years ....................................... 17,372 14,237 1,779 888 3,614 1,020 831 115 30 388

35 to 44 years ....................................... 19,432 16,175 1,958 870 2,739 915 684 135 49 337

45 to 54 years ....................................... 17,161 14,586 1,600 650 1,469 550 409 102 22 116

55 to 64 years ....................................... 9,245 8,126 641 343 702 240 195 27 14 36

65 years and older ................................ 2,718 2,426 166 88 164 46 38 7 - 7

 Women, 16 years and older ............. 64,530 52,103 8,410 2,614 6,870 3,844 2,499 1,102 118 738

16 to 19 years ....................................... 2,173 1,837 217 53 250 227 177 37 4 41

20 to 24 years ....................................... 6,122 4,898 838 198 882 764 533 181 20 130

25 to 34 years ....................................... 13,926 10,778 2,113 696 2,017 1,105 674 359 30 231

35 to 44 years ....................................... 16,576 13,098 2,400 692 1,907 943 583 299 30 204

45 to 54 years ....................................... 15,558 12,785 1,844 649 1,246 492 289 167 26 94

55 to 64 years ....................................... 8,018 6,801 829 267 473 245 193 43 5 27

65 years and older ................................ 2,157 1,906 169 60 95 69 49 15 4 11

Age and sex

Rate 2

Total White 1

Black or

African

American 1

Asian 1

Hispanic or

Latino

ethnicity

 Total, 16 years and older .................. 5.3 4.5 10.5 4.6 10.4

16 to 19 years ....................................... 9.0 7.9 17.8 8.2 13.9

20 to 24 years ....................................... 10.2 9.0 17.7 10.0 11.9

25 to 34 years ....................................... 6.8 6.0 12.2 3.8 11.0

35 to 44 years ....................................... 5.2 4.3 10.0 5.0 11.6

45 to 54 years ....................................... 3.2 2.6 7.8 3.7 7.7

55 to 64 years ....................................... 2.8 2.6 4.8 3.0 5.4

65 years and older ................................ 2.4 2.0 6.6 2.5 6.9

 Men, 16 years and older ................... 4.7 4.3 7.4 4.6 10.2

16 to 19 years ....................................... 7.5 6.2 18.3 3 ( ) 12.2

20 to 24 years ....................................... 8.2 7.3 13.4 9.9 10.2

25 to 34 years ....................................... 5.9 5.8 6.4 3.3 10.7

35 to 44 years ....................................... 4.7 4.2 6.9 5.6 12.3

45 to 54 years ....................................... 3.2 2.8 6.4 3.4 7.9

55 to 64 years ....................................... 2.6 2.4 4.3 4.1 5.2

65 years and older ................................ 1.7 1.6 4.4 - 4.4

 Women, 16 years and older ............. 6.0 4.8 13.1 4.5 10.7

16 to 19 years ....................................... 10.4 9.6 17.3 3 ( ) 16.3

20 to 24 years ....................................... 12.5 10.9 21.7 10.1 14.8

25 to 34 years ....................................... 7.9 6.3 17.0 4.3 11.4

35 to 44 years ....................................... 5.7 4.5 12.5 4.3 10.7

45 to 54 years ....................................... 3.2 2.3 9.1 4.0 7.6

55 to 64 years ....................................... 3.1 2.8 5.2 1.7 5.7

65 years and older ................................ 3.2 2.6 8.8 3 ( ) 11.1

1 Beginning with data for 2002, which were collected in the 2003

Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population

Survey, persons who selected this race group only; persons who

selected more than one race group are not included. Prior to 2002,

persons who reported more than one race group were included in the

group they identified as the main race. Also beginning in 2002, Asians

no longer include Pacific Islanders. 2 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the

labor force for 27 weeks or more. 3 Data not shown where base is less than 80,000.

 NOTE: 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. In addition, persons whose ethnicity is

identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are

classified by ethnicity as well as by race. Also, see Note, table 1.

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Table 3. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: Poverty status by educational attainment, race, Hispanic or Latino

ethnicity, and sex, 2002

(Numbers in thousands)

Educational attainment, race, and 

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity Total Men Women

Below poverty level Rate 1

Total Men Women Total Men Women

 Total, 16 years and older ......................... 139,728 75,198 64,530 7,359 3,514 3,844 5.3 4.7 6.0

Less than a high school diploma ................ 16,617 10,398 6,220 2,421 1,340 1,081 14.6 12.9 17.4

 Less than 1 year of high school ............... 4,926 3,326 1,600 849 551 297 17.2 16.6 18.6

 1-3 years of high school .......................... 9,872 5,949 3,922 1,377 688 689 13.9 11.6 17.6

 4 years of high school, no diploma .......... 1,820 1,123 697 196 101 95 10.8 9.0 13.6

High school graduates, no college 2 ........... 42,843 23,198 19,645 2,630 1,210 1,420 6.1 5.2 7.2

Some college or associate degree ............. 39,952 19,895 20,057 1,673 643 1,031 4.2 3.2 5.1

 Some college, no degree ......................... 27,681 14,273 13,408 1,332 503 829 4.8 3.5 6.2

 Associate degree ..................................... 12,272 5,622 6,650 341 140 201 2.8 2.5 3.0

Bachelor’s degree and higher 3 .................. 40,315 21,708 18,608 634 321 313 1.6 1.5 1.7

 White, 16 years and older 4 ...................... 115,307 63,204 52,103 5,194 2,696 2,499 4.5 4.3 4.8

Less than a high school diploma ................ 13,562 8,784 4,778 1,784 1,069 715 13.2 12.2 15.0

 Less than 1 year of high school ............... 4,238 2,915 1,323 723 476 247 17.1 16.3 18.7

 1-3 years of high school .......................... 7,968 4,999 2,969 959 537 422 12.0 10.7 14.2

 4 years of high school, no diploma .......... 1,356 870 486 101 55 46 7.5 6.4 9.4

High school graduates, no college 2 ........... 35,166 19,279 15,887 1,779 907 872 5.1 4.7 5.5

Some college or associate degree ............. 32,811 16,661 16,150 1,154 479 675 3.5 2.9 4.2

 Some college, no degree ......................... 22,480 11,847 10,633 915 379 536 4.1 3.2 5.0

 Associate degree ..................................... 10,331 4,814 5,517 239 100 139 2.3 2.1 2.5

Bachelor’s degree and higher 3 .................. 33,768 18,480 15,288 477 241 236 1.4 1.3 1.5

 Black or African American, 16 years and

older 4 ................................................... 15,558 7,148 8,410 1,634 532 1,102 10.5 7.4 13.1

Less than a high school diploma ................ 2,053 1,017 1,035 484 179 305 23.6 17.6 29.4

 Less than 1 year of high school ............... 354 205 149 70 37 33 19.7 18.0 22.1

 1-3 years of high school .......................... 1,354 631 723 337 110 227 24.9 17.4 31.4

 4 years of high school, no diploma .......... 345 182 163 78 33 45 22.5 18.1 27.5

High school graduates, no college 2 ........... 5,598 2,784 2,814 707 221 485 12.6 8.0 17.2

Some college or associate degree ............. 4,888 2,084 2,805 376 101 275 7.7 4.8 9.8

 Some college, no degree ......................... 3,653 1,619 2,034 301 74 226 8.2 4.6 11.1

 Associate degree ..................................... 1,235 464 771 75 27 49 6.1 5.7 6.3

Bachelor’s degree and higher 3 .................. 3,019 1,264 1,756 67 30 37 2.2 2.4 2.1

 Asian, 16 years and older 4 ...................... 5,764 3,149 2,614 263 145 118 4.6 4.6 4.5

Less than a high school diploma ................ 524 291 233 72 47 25 13.7 16.2 10.5

 Less than 1 year of high school ............... 221 122 99 32 20 12 14.6 16.3 12.5

 1-3 years of high school .......................... 226 130 96 25 17 9 11.3 12.8 9.2

 4 years of high school, no diploma .......... 78 39 38 14 11 3 5 ( ) 5 ( ) 5 ( )

High school graduates, no college 2 ........... 1,087 552 535 50 27 23 4.6 4.9 4.2

Some college or associate degree ............. 1,193 617 576 65 27 39 5.5 4.3 6.7

 Some college, no degree ......................... 802 429 373 52 19 33 6.5 4.5 8.9

 Associate degree ..................................... 391 188 203 13 7 6 3.3 3.9 2.8

Bachelor’s degree and higher 3 .................. 2,959 1,690 1,269 76 44 32 2.6 2.6 2.5

 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 16 years and

older ...................................................... 17,434 10,564 6,870 1,821 1,083 738 10.4 10.2 10.7

Less than a high school diploma ................ 6,471 4,395 2,075 1,108 727 381 17.1 16.5 18.4

 Less than 1 year of high school ............... 3,340 2,307 1,032 611 414 197 18.3 17.9 19.0

 1-3 years of high school .......................... 2,627 1,743 884 439 273 165 16.7 15.7 18.7

 4 years of high school, no diploma .......... 504 345 159 59 40 19 11.7 11.5 12.2

High school graduates, no college 2 ........... 5,184 3,073 2,111 435 230 205 8.4 7.5 9.7

Some college or associate degree ............. 3,749 1,985 1,764 217 93 123 5.8 4.7 7.0

 Some college, no degree ......................... 2,812 1,509 1,302 180 80 100 6.4 5.3 7.7

 Associate degree ..................................... 937 476 462 37 14 23 3.9 2.9 5.0

Bachelor’s degree and higher 3 .................. 2,030 1,111 919 61 32 29 3.0 2.9 3.1

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

force for 27 weeks or more. 2 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 3 Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and 

doctoral degrees. 4 Beginning with data for 2002, which were collected in the 2003 Annual

Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey, persons

who selected this race group only; persons who selected more than one race

group are not included. Prior to 2002, persons who reported more than one

race group were included in the group they identified as the main race.

Also beginning in 2002, Asians no longer include Pacific Islanders. 5 Data not shown where base is less than 80,000.

 NOTE: 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. In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or

Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well

as by race. Also, see Note, table 1.

8
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, 2002

(Numbers in thousands)

Occupation, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity Total Men Women

Below poverty level Rate1

Total Men Women Total Men Women

 Total, 16 years and older2 .......................................... 138,387 74,390 63,997 6,794 3,206 3,588 4.9 4.3 5.6

 Management, professional, and related occupations .... 47,514 23,706 23,807 916 443 473 1.9 1.9 2.0

 Management, business, and financial operations

occupations .............................................................. 20,478 11,805 8,673 429 258 171 2.1 2.2 2.0

 Professional and related occupations .......................... 27,035 11,901 15,134 487 185 302 1.8 1.6 2.0

 Service occupations ...................................................... 21,709 9,380 12,329 2,221 727 1,494 10.2 7.7 12.1

 Sales and office occupations ......................................... 35,703 12,991 22,712 1,648 447 1,201 4.6 3.4 5.3

 Sales and related occupations .................................... 16,079 8,364 7,715 970 283 687 6.0 3.4 8.9

 Office and administrative support occupations ............ 19,624 4,628 14,997 678 164 514 3.5 3.5 3.4

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations .............................................................. 14,661 13,969 692 968 901 66 6.6 6.5 9.6

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .................. 1,026 785 241 139 99 41 13.6 12.6 16.8

 Construction and extraction occupations ..................... 8,523 8,315 208 640 622 18 7.5 7.5 8.6

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...... 5,112 4,869 243 188 180 8 3.7 3.7 3.3

 Production, transportation, and material-moving

occupations .............................................................. 18,703 14,258 4,445 1,039 688 351 5.6 4.8 7.9

 Production occupations ............................................... 10,207 7,056 3,150 523 296 227 5.1 4.2 7.2

 Transportation and material-moving occupations ........ 8,496 7,202 1,294 516 392 124 6.1 5.4 9.6

 White, 16 years and older2 ......................................... 114,507 62,706 51,802 4,905 2,522 2,383 4.3 4.0 4.6

 Management, professional, and related occupations .... 40,294 20,400 19,894 683 347 336 1.7 1.7 1.7

 Management, business, and financial operations

occupations .............................................................. 17,808 10,495 7,313 347 214 133 2.0 2.0 1.8

 Professional and related occupations .......................... 22,485 9,904 12,581 336 133 203 1.5 1.3 1.6

 Service occupations ...................................................... 16,667 7,397 9,270 1,502 548 954 9.0 7.4 10.3

 Sales and office occupations ......................................... 29,622 10,929 18,693 1,149 340 809 3.9 3.1 4.3

 Sales and related occupations .................................... 13,660 7,255 6,405 682 214 468 5.0 2.9 7.3

 Office and administrative support occupations ............ 15,962 3,674 12,289 467 126 341 2.9 3.4 2.8

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations .............................................................. 13,061 12,458 603 827 765 62 6.3 6.1 10.2

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .................. 922 709 212 128 90 38 13.9 12.7 18.0

 Construction and extraction occupations ..................... 7,622 7,436 187 544 527 17 7.1 7.1 9.0

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...... 4,517 4,313 204 155 148 7 3.4 3.4 3.3

 Production, transportation, and material-moving

occupations .............................................................. 14,799 11,461 3,338 743 521 222 5.0 4.5 6.7

 Production occupations ............................................... 8,154 5,791 2,363 394 248 146 4.8 4.3 6.2

 Transportation and material-moving occupations ........ 6,645 5,670 975 349 274 76 5.3 4.8 7.8

 Black or African American, 16 years and older2 ......... 15,147 6,920 8,228 1,400 422 978 9.2 6.1 11.9

 Management, professional, and related occupations .... 3,818 1,445 2,373 133 31 101 3.5 2.2 4.3

 Management, business, and financial operations

occupations .............................................................. 1,387 591 797 40 15 25 2.9 2.5 3.2

 Professional and related occupations .......................... 2,431 855 1,576 93 17 76 3.8 2.0 4.8

 Service occupations ...................................................... 3,522 1,277 2,245 561 115 446 15.9 9.0 19.9

 Sales and office occupations ......................................... 4,049 1,254 2,794 393 75 319 9.7 5.9 11.4

 Sales and related occupations .................................... 1,538 667 871 233 53 180 15.2 8.0 20.7

 Office and administrative support occupations ............ 2,510 587 1,924 160 21 139 6.4 3.7 7.2

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations .............................................................. 1,019 964 56 96 93 3 9.4 9.7 3 ( )

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .................. 44 34 10 6 5 2 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 3 ( )

 Construction and extraction occupations ..................... 584 570 15 69 69 – 11.8 12.1 3 ( )

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...... 391 360 31 21 19 1 5.3 5.4 3 ( )

 Production, transportation, and material-moving

occupations .............................................................. 2,719 1,964 755 216 108 109 8.0 5.5 14.4

 Production occupations ............................................... 1,286 777 509 90 24 66 7.0 3.0 13.0

 Transportation and material-moving occupations ........ 1,433 1,187 246 126 84 42 8.8 7.1 17.2

See footnotes at end of table.

9

This revised table corrects errors in data by occupation. More information is at www.bls.gov/bls/errata/corrected-working-poor-data.htm. 
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, 2002 — Continued

(Numbers in thousands)

Occupation, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity Total Men Women

Below poverty level Rate1

Total Men Women Total Men Women

 Asian, 16 years and older2 ......................................... 5,684 3,103 2,581 240 132 108 4.2 4.2 4.2

 Management, professional, and related occupations .... 2,563 1,471 1,092 67 41 25 2.6 2.8 2.3

 Management, business, and financial operations

occupations .............................................................. 945 525 419 23 13 11 2.5 2.4 2.5

 Professional and related occupations .......................... 1,618 945 673 43 29 15 2.7 3.0 2.2

 Service occupations ...................................................... 899 395 504 62 25 36 6.9 6.4 7.2

 Sales and office occupations ......................................... 1,261 550 711 57 20 37 4.5 3.6 5.3

 Sales and related occupations .................................... 575 306 268 26 12 14 4.6 3.8 5.4

 Office and administrative support occupations ............ 686 243 443 31 8 23 4.5 3.3 5.2

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations .............................................................. 225 212 13 14 14 – 6.4 6.5 3 ( )

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .................. 27 18 9 1 1 – 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 3 ( )

 Construction and extraction occupations ..................... 95 94 – 9 9 – 9.1 9.2 3 ( )

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...... 103 99 3 5 5 – 4.5 4.7 3 ( )

 Production, transportation, and material-moving

occupations .............................................................. 729 468 261 40 31 9 5.5 6.6 3.4

 Production occupations ............................................... 517 300 217 21 14 7 4.1 4.6 3.5

 Transportation and material-moving occupations ........ 212 168 44 18 17 1 8.7 10.2 3 ( )

 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 16 years and older2 ....... 17,280 10,483 6,797 1,749 1,050 699 10.1 10.0 10.3

 Management, professional, and related occupations .... 2,779 1,381 1,398 92 48 44 3.3 3.4 3.2

 Management, business, and financial operations

occupations .............................................................. 1,106 626 480 42 36 7 3.8 5.7 1.4

 Professional and related occupations .......................... 1,673 755 918 49 12 38 3.0 1.6 4.1

 Service occupations ...................................................... 4,165 2,154 2,011 638 303 335 15.3 14.1 16.7

 Sales and office occupations ......................................... 3,767 1,466 2,301 286 102 185 7.6 6.9 8.0

 Sales and related occupations .................................... 1,660 795 866 159 57 102 9.6 7.2 11.7

 Office and administrative support occupations ............ 2,106 671 1,435 128 45 83 6.1 6.7 5.8

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations .............................................................. 2,974 2,809 166 360 335 25 12.1 11.9 15.1

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .................. 419 308 111 77 53 24 18.3 17.2 21.2

 Construction and extraction occupations ..................... 1,873 1,850 24 236 235 2 12.6 12.7 3 ( )

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...... 681 650 31 47 47 – 6.9 7.3 3 ( )

 Production, transportation, and material-moving

occupations .............................................................. 3,586 2,664 922 372 263 109 10.4 9.9 11.9

 Production occupations ............................................... 2,019 1,349 670 209 134 75 10.3 9.9 11.2

 Transportation and material-moving occupations ........ 1,567 1,315 252 163 129 34 10.4 9.8 13.7

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 Includes the long-term unemployed with no previous work experience

and a small number of people whose last job was in the Armed Forces. 3 Data not shown where base is less than 80,000.

 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 or rounds to zero.

 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

10
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, 2002

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic Total families At or above

poverty level

Below poverty

level Rate 1

 Total primary families ................................................ 63,352 59,379 3,973 6.3

With related children under 18 years ................................ 35,865 32,500 3,366 9.4

Without children ................................................................ 27,487 26,879 607 2.2

With one member in the labor force .................................. 26,369 23,063 3,306 12.5

With two or more members in the labor force ................... 36,983 36,316 667 1.8

 With two members .......................................................... 31,213 30,591 622 2.0

 With three or more members .......................................... 5,771 5,725 45 .8

 Married-couple families ............................................. 48,348 46,551 1,797 3.7

With related children under 18 years ................................ 26,184 24,755 1,430 5.5

Without children ................................................................ 22,164 21,796 368 1.7

With one member in the labor force .................................. 15,872 14,580 1,292 8.1

 Husband .......................................................................... 11,946 10,905 1,040 8.7

 Wife ................................................................................. 3,312 3,106 206 6.2

 Relative ........................................................................... 614 569 45 7.4

With two or more members in the labor force ................... 32,476 31,971 505 1.6

 With two members .......................................................... 27,621 27,148 473 1.7

 With three or more members .......................................... 4,856 4,824 32 .7

 Families maintained by women ................................. 10,897 9,054 1,843 16.9

With related children under 18 years ................................ 7,521 5,843 1,678 22.3

Without children ................................................................ 3,376 3,211 165 4.9

With one member in the labor force .................................. 7,963 6,248 1,715 21.5

 Householder .................................................................... 6,603 5,090 1,513 22.9

 Relative ........................................................................... 1,361 1,158 202 14.9

With two or more members in the labor force ................... 2,933 2,806 128 4.3

 Families maintained by men ..................................... 4,107 3,774 333 8.1

With related children under 18 years ................................ 2,160 1,902 258 12.0

Without children ................................................................ 1,947 1,872 74 3.8

With one member in the labor force .................................. 2,533 2,235 298 11.8

 Householder .................................................................... 2,079 1,840 239 11.5

 Relative ........................................................................... 454 395 59 13.1

With two or more members in the labor force ................... 1,574 1,539 35 2.2

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

the labor force for 27 weeks or more.

 NOTE: Data relate to primary families with at least one member

in the labor force for 27 weeks or more. Also, see Note, table 1.

11
Table 6. People in families and unrelated individuals: Poverty status and work experience, 2002

(Numbers in thousands)

Poverty status and work experience Total

persons

In married-couple families In families maintained by

women

In families maintained by

men Unrelated

individuals Husbands Wives

Related

children

under

18

Other

relatives

Householder

Related

children

under

18

Other

relatives

Householder

Related

children

under

18

Other

relatives

TOTAL

 All persons 1 ............................... 220,285 56,685 57,280 5,638 17,234 13,593 1,965 10,306 4,626 541 4,738 47,679

With labor force activity .................. 153,411 45,229 37,372 2,303 11,914 9,993 592 6,822 3,719 173 3,247 32,044

 1 to 26 weeks ............................... 13,683 1,454 3,287 1,398 2,517 807 375 970 216 99 365 2,196

 27 weeks or more ......................... 139,728 43,776 34,086 905 9,398 9,186 217 5,852 3,504 75 2,882 29,847

With no labor force activity ............. 66,874 11,455 19,908 3,335 5,319 3,600 1,372 3,484 907 368 1,490 15,635

At or above poverty level

 All persons 1 ............................... 196,718 53,676 54,230 5,330 16,509 9,983 1,402 8,822 4,070 451 4,336 37,909

With labor force activity .................. 143,488 43,532 36,439 2,253 11,641 7,889 484 6,246 3,383 154 3,091 28,376

 1 to 26 weeks ............................... 11,119 1,284 3,000 1,365 2,419 323 300 766 144 81 323 1,113

 27 weeks or more ......................... 132,369 42,248 33,439 888 9,222 7,565 184 5,481 3,239 73 2,767 27,263

With no labor force activity ............. 53,230 10,143 17,791 3,077 4,868 2,094 919 2,576 687 297 1,245 9,533

Below poverty level

 All persons 1 ............................... 23,567 3,009 3,050 308 725 3,610 563 1,484 556 90 402 9,770

With labor force activity .................. 9,923 1,697 933 50 273 2,104 109 576 336 19 157 3,668

 1 to 26 weeks ............................... 2,564 170 286 33 98 483 76 205 72 17 42 1,084

 27 weeks or more ......................... 7,359 1,528 647 17 176 1,621 33 371 265 2 115 2,584

With no labor force activity ............. 13,644 1,312 2,117 258 451 1,506 454 908 220 71 245 6,102

Rate 2

 All persons 1 ............................... 10.7 5.3 5.3 5.5 4.2 26.6 28.6 14.4 12.0 16.6 8.5 20.5

With labor force activity .................. 6.5 3.8 2.5 2.2 2.3 21.1 18.4 8.4 9.0 10.9 4.8 11.4

 1 to 26 weeks ............................... 18.7 11.7 8.7 2.3 3.9 59.9 20.2 21.1 33.2 17.5 11.5 49.3

 27 weeks or more ......................... 5.3 3.5 1.9 1.9 1.9 17.6 15.3 6.3 7.6 3 ( ) 4.0 8.7

With no labor force activity ............. 20.4 11.5 10.6 7.7 8.5 41.8 33.1 26.1 24.2 19.3 16.4 39.0

1 Data on families include persons in primary families and unrelated

subfamilies. 2 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total.

3 Data not shown where base is less than 80,000.

 NOTE: See Note, table 1.

12
Table 7. Unrelated individuals in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: Poverty status by age, sex, race, Hispanic or

Latino ethnicity, and living arrangement, 2002

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic Total At or above

poverty level

Below poverty

level Rate 1

Age and sex

 Total unrelated individuals ....................................................................... 29,847 27,263 2,584 8.7

16 to 19 years ................................................................................................... 533 330 202 38.0

20 to 24 years ................................................................................................... 4,121 3,445 676 16.4

25 to 64 years ................................................................................................... 23,741 22,093 1,648 6.9

65 years and older ............................................................................................ 1,453 1,395 58 4.0

Men ................................................................................................................... 16,439 15,120 1,319 8.0

Women ............................................................................................................. 13,408 12,143 1,265 9.4

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

White 2 .............................................................................................................. 24,467 22,501 1,966 8.0

 Men ................................................................................................................ 13,519 12,508 1,012 7.5

 Women .......................................................................................................... 10,948 9,994 954 8.7

Black or African American 2 ............................................................................. 3,528 3,139 389 11.0

 Men ................................................................................................................ 1,879 1,686 193 10.3

 Women .......................................................................................................... 1,649 1,453 196 11.9

Asian 2 .............................................................................................................. 1,098 988 110 10.0

 Men ................................................................................................................ 583 538 45 7.7

 Women .......................................................................................................... 514 450 65 12.6

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ............................................................................... 3,190 2,792 397 12.5

 Men ................................................................................................................ 2,106 1,882 224 10.6

 Women .......................................................................................................... 1,083 910 173 16.0

Living arrangement

Living alone ...................................................................................................... 15,981 14,966 1,015 6.4

Living with others .............................................................................................. 13,866 12,297 1,569 11.3

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 2002, which were collected in the 2003

Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population

Survey, persons who selected this race group only; persons who

selected more than one race group are not included. Prior to 2002,

persons who reported more than one race group were included in

the group they identified as the main race. Also beginning in 2002,

Asians no longer include Pacific Islanders.

 NOTE: 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. In addition, persons whose ethnicity is

identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore,

are classified by ethnicity as well as by race. Also, see Note, 

table 1.

13
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, 2002

(Numbers in thousands)

Poverty status and labor market problems Total At or above

poverty level

Below poverty

level Rate 1

 Total, full-time wage and salary workers ..................................................... 108,959 105,350 3,609 3.3

No unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, or low earnings 2 ........ 89,533 88,843 690 .8

Unemployment only .......................................................................................... 6,798 6,400 398 5.9

Involuntary part-time employment only ............................................................. 2,401 2,348 52 2.2

Low earnings only ............................................................................................. 6,575 5,123 1,452 22.1

Unemployment and involuntary part-time employment .................................... 1,104 994 110 10.0

Unemployment and low earnings ..................................................................... 1,466 897 569 38.8

Involuntary part-time employment and low earnings ........................................ 654 502 152 23.3

Unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, and low earnings ............. 429 243 186 43.3

Unemployment (alone or with other problems) ................................................. 9,796 8,534 1,262 12.9

Involuntary part-time employment (alone or with other problems) ................... 4,587 4,087 501 10.9

Low earnings (alone or with other problems) ................................................... 9,124 6,765 2,359 25.9

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

labor force for 27 weeks or more.

2 The low-earnings threshold in 2002 was $264.80 per week.

 NOTE: See Note, table 1.

14