U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

BLS Reports │ July 2015 • www.bls.gov 1

JULY 2015 REPOR T 1055

CONTENTS

Highlights. 

Demographic characteristics  

Educational attainment. 

Occupation. 

Families. 

Unrelated individuals. 

Labor market problems. 

Statistical Tables. 

Technical Notes. .

A Profile of the Working Poor, 2013

I

n 2013, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, about

45.3 million people, or 14.5 percent of the nation’s

population, lived below the official poverty level.1 (See 

the technical notes section for examples of poverty levels.)

Although the poor were primarily children and adults who 

had not participated in the labor force during the year,

according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics,

10.5 million individuals were among the “working poor” 

in 2013; this measure was little different from 2012. 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 2013,

the working-poor rate—the ratio of the working poor to all

individuals in the labor force for at least 27 weeks—was 7.0

percent, little changed from the previous year’s figure (7.1

percent). After rising from 5.1 percent to 7.0 percent between

2007 and 2009, the ratio has remained within a narrow range

of 7.0 percent to 7.2 percent. (See tables A and 1 and chart 1.)

Highlights 

Following are additional highlights from the 2013 data:

• Full-time workers continued to be much less likely 

to be among the working poor than were parttime workers. Among people in the labor force

for 27 weeks or more, 4.1 percent of those usually

employed full time were classified as working

poor, compared with 15.8 percent of part-time

workers. 

• Women were more likely than men to be among

the working poor. In addition, Blacks and

Hispanics continued to be more than twice as 

likely as Whites and Asians to be among the

working poor. 

• The likelihood of being classified as working

poor diminishes as workers attain higher levels of
2 BLS Reports │ July 2015 • www.bls.gov

A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

education. Among college graduates, 2.3 percent

of those who were in the labor force for at least 27

weeks were classified as working poor, compared

with 19.2 percent of those with less than a high

school diploma. 

• The likelihood of being among the working

poor was lower for individuals employed in

management, professional, and related occupations

than for those employed in other major occupation

groups.

• Among families with at least one member in

the labor force for 27 weeks or more, those with

children under 18 years old were about 3 times

more likely than those without children to live 

in poverty. Families maintained by women were 

more likely than families maintained by men to be

living below the poverty level. 

This report presents data on the relationship between 

labor force activity and poverty status in 2013 for workers

and their families. These data were collected in the 2013

Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current 

Population Survey. The 2013 data are based on fewer

sample responses than in recent years. (For a detailed 

description of the source of the data and an explanation

of the concepts and definitions used in this report, see

the technical notes at the end of this report.) The specific

income thresholds used to determine people’s poverty

status vary, depending on whether the individuals

are living with family members or are living alone or

with nonrelatives. For family members, the poverty

threshold is determined by their family’s total income; for

individuals not living in families, their personal income is

used as the determinant. 

Demographic characteristics 

Among those who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or

more in 2013, the number of women classified as working

poor (5.4 million) was higher than that of men (5.0

million). Similarly, the working-poor rate continued to be

higher for women (7.8 percent) than for men (6.3 percent).

The working-poor rates for both women and men were

little different from a year earlier. (See table 2.)

Blacks and Hispanics were more than twice as likely as 

Whites and Asians to be among the working poor. In

2013, the working-poor rates of Blacks and Hispanics

were 13.3 percent and 12.8 percent, respectively,

Poverty status of people and primary families in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 2007–2013

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Total in the labor force1 146,567 147,838 147,902 146,859 147,475 148,735 149,483

In poverty 7,521 8,883 10,391 10,512 10,382 10,612 10,450

Working poor rate 5.1 6.0 7.0 7.2 7.0 7.1 7.0

Unrelated individuals 33,226 32,785 33,798 34,099 33,731 34,810 35,061

In poverty 2,558 3,275 3,947 3,947 3,621 3,851 4,141

Working poor rate 7.7 10.0 11.7 11.6 10.7 11.1 11.8

Primary families2 65,158 65,907 65,467 64,931 66,225 66,541 66,462

In poverty 4,169 4,538 5,193 5,269 5,469 5,478 5,137

Working poor rate 6.4 6.9 7.9 8.1 8.3 8.2 7.7

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.

Note: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC).

Table A
BLS Reports │ July 2015 • www.bls.gov 3

A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

compared with 6.1 percent for Whites and 4.5 percent for

Asians. (See chart 2 and table 2.)

Among Whites and Blacks, the working-poor rate was

higher for women than for men. The rate for White

women who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force was

6.7 percent, compared with 5.6 percent for White men. The

rates for Black women and men were 14.8 percent and

11.6 percent, respectively. Among Asians and Hispanics,

the rates for women and men were little different from

each other. 

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, 11.2 percent of 16- to

19-year-olds and 13.2 percent of 20- to 24-year-olds were

living in poverty in 2013, considerably higher than the

rate for workers age 35 to 44 (7.2 percent). Workers age

45 to 54, 55 to 64, and those age 65 and older had lower

working-poor rates—4.9 percent, 4.3 percent, and 1.7

percent, respectively—than did the younger age groups.

Educational attainment 

Achieving higher levels of education reduces the

incidence of living in poverty. Individuals 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. Of all the people in the labor force for 27

weeks or more in 2013, those with less than a high school

diploma had a higher working-poor rate (19.2 percent)

than did high school graduates with no college (8.9

percent). Workers with an associate’s degree (5.0 percent)

and those with a bachelor’s degree or higher (2.3 percent)

had the lowest working-poor rates. In 2013, at nearly

all levels of educational attainment, women were more

likely than men to be among the working poor; by race 

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC).

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

8.0

1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

Percent

Chart 1

Working-poor rate of people in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 1986–2013

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC).

Chart 1
4 BLS Reports │ July 2015 • www.bls.gov

A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

and ethnicity, Blacks and Hispanics generally were more

likely to be among the working poor than were Whites

and Asians. (See table 3.)

Occupation 

The 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, 2.1 percent in 2013. By contrast, individuals

employed in occupations that typically do not require

high levels of education and are characterized by

relatively low earnings were more likely to be among 

the working poor. For example, 14.1 percent of service

workers who were in the labor force for at least 27 weeks

were classified as working poor in 2013. Indeed, service

occupations, with 3.6 million working poor, accounted

for nearly 40 percent of all those classified as working

poor. Among those employed in natural resources,

construction, and maintenance occupations, 8.3 percent

of workers were classified as working poor. Within this

occupation group, 17.2 percent of workers employed in

farming, fishing, and forestry occupations and 9.9 percent

of those in construction and extraction occupations were

among the working poor. (See table 4.)

Families 

In 2013, 5.1 million families were living below the

poverty level despite having at least one member in the 

labor force for half the year or more. The 2013 figure was

down from 5.5 million in 2012. Among families with

only one member in the labor force for at least 27 weeks

in 2013, married-couple families had a lower likelihood

of living below the poverty level (8.8 percent) than did

families maintained by women (26.7 percent) or by men

(15.1 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 

Chart 2

7.0

6.1

13.3

4.5

12.8

0.0

4.0

8.0

12.0

16.0

Total White Black or African American Asian Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Percent

Chart 2

Working-poor rates by race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2013

Note: People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC).

Note: People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC).
BLS Reports │ July 2015 • www.bls.gov 5

A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

poverty level than those without children. The proportion 

of families with children under age 18 that lived in 

poverty was 11.8 percent, compared with 3.2 percent for 

families without children. Among families with children 

under 18, the working-poor rate for those maintained by 

women (27.9 percent) was higher than that for those 

maintained by men (14.1 percent). Married-couple 

families with children had a working-poor rate of 6.4 

percent in 2013. 

Unrelated individuals 

The “unrelated individuals” category includes individuals 

who live by themselves or with others not related to them. 

Of the 35.1 million unrelated individuals who were in

the labor force for half the year or longer, 4.1 million

lived below the poverty level in 2013, an increase from

last year’s figure. The working-poor rate for unrelated

individuals was 11.8 percent, up from 11.1 percent a year

earlier. (See table 6.)

Within the group of unrelated individuals, teenagers

continued to be the most likely to be among the working 

poor. In 2013, 40.3 percent of teens 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. Overall, the working-poor rate for men living alone

or with nonrelatives (11.2 percent) was lower than the

rate for women (12.6 percent). The working-poor rates

for unrelated individuals were 16.9 percent for Hispanics,

16.3 percent for Blacks, 12.8 percent for Asians, and 10.9

percent for Whites. (See table 7.)

Of the 4.1 million unrelated individuals considered to

be among the working poor in 2013, about three-fifths

lived with others. These individuals had a much higher 

working-poor rate than individuals who lived alone. 

Many unrelated individuals living below the poverty level

may live with others out of necessity. Conversely, 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 problems 

As 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, 4.4 million, or 3.9 percent, were classified as

working poor in 2013—unchanged from a year earlier.

(See table 8.)

There are three major labor market problems that

can hinder a worker’s ability to earn an income

above the poverty threshold: low earnings, periods of

unemployment, and involuntary part-time employment.

(See the technical notes for detailed definitions.)

In 2013, 85 percent of the working poor who usually

worked full time experienced at least one of the major

labor market problems. Low earnings continued to be 

the most common problem, with 66 percent subject

to low earnings, either as the major problem or in

combination with other labor market problems. About 

38 percent experienced unemployment as the main labor

market problem or in conjunction with other problems.

Five percent of the working poor experienced all three

problems: low earnings, unemployment, and involuntary

part-time employment. 

Some 654,000, or 15 percent, of the working poor who

usually worked full time did not experience any of the

three primary labor market problems in 2013. 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.

Endnotes

1. Income and Poverty in the United States: 2013, Current

Population Reports, P60-249 (U.S. Census Bureau, September

2014), table 3, at http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/

library/publications/2014/demo/p60-249.pdf. 
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A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

Statistical Tables
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A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

Table 1. People in the labor force: poverty status and work experience by weeks in the labor force, 2013

(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 the labor force .......................................................................... 161,813 149,483 136,864

 Did not work during the year ............................................................... 4,825 2,924 2,440

 Worked during the year ...................................................................... 156,987 146,559 134,424

 Usual full-time workers ..................................................................... 124,017 119,877 113,253

 Usual part-time workers .................................................................... 32,970 26,681 21,171

 Involuntary part-time workers ......................................................... 9,716 8,621 7,473

 Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................ 23,254 18,061 13,698

At or above poverty level

Total in the labor force .......................................................................... 148,821 139,033 128,078

 Did not work during the year ............................................................... 2,849 1,633 1,331

 Worked during the year ...................................................................... 145,973 137,400 126,747

 Usual full-time workers ..................................................................... 118,313 114,936 108,995

 Usual part-time workers .................................................................... 27,659 22,465 17,752

 Involuntary part-time workers ......................................................... 7,041 6,312 5,483

 Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................ 20,618 16,153 12,270

Below poverty level

Total in the labor force .......................................................................... 12,991 10,450 8,786

 Did not work during the year ............................................................... 1,976 1,291 1,109

 Worked during the year ...................................................................... 11,015 9,159 7,677

 Usual full-time workers ..................................................................... 5,704 4,942 4,258

 Usual part-time workers .................................................................... 5,311 4,217 3,419

 Involuntary part-time workers ......................................................... 2,675 2,309 1,990

 Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................ 2,636 1,908 1,429

Rate1

Total in the labor force .......................................................................... 8.0 7.0 6.4

 Did not work during the year ............................................................... 41.0 44.2 45.4

 Worked during the year ...................................................................... 7.0 6.2 5.7

 Usual full-time workers ..................................................................... 4.6 4.1 3.8

 Usual part-time workers .................................................................... 16.1 15.8 16.1

 Involuntary part-time workers ......................................................... 27.5 26.8 26.6

 Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................ 11.3 10.6 10.4

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

6
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A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

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

ethnicity, 2013

(Numbers in thousands)

Age and gender Total White

Black or

African

American Asian

Hispanic

or Latino

ethnicity

Below poverty level

Total White

Black or

African

American Asian

Hispanic

or Latino

ethnicity

 Total, 16 years and older .................. 149,483 119,102 17,675 8,344 23,618 10,450 7,276 2,355 379 3,033

16 to 19 years ....................................... 3,239 2,581 390 89 627 364 272 62 7 130

20 to 24 years ....................................... 13,651 10,600 1,932 491 2,865 1,797 1,213 450 60 375

25 to 34 years ....................................... 32,680 25,317 4,190 1,959 6,466 3,086 2,098 750 87 939

35 to 44 years ....................................... 31,644 24,574 3,969 2,149 5,963 2,269 1,544 515 99 823

45 to 54 years ....................................... 33,982 27,250 4,018 1,951 4,740 1,674 1,189 362 72 514

55 to 64 years ....................................... 25,587 21,308 2,506 1,290 2,388 1,112 853 187 44 211

65 years and older ................................ 8,700 7,472 669 415 568 148 107 29 9 40

 Men, 16 years and older ................... 79,643 64,630 8,252 4,493 13,685 5,025 3,638 957 199 1,701

16 to 19 years ....................................... 1,668 1,313 203 52 329 162 120 25 3 63

20 to 24 years ....................................... 7,068 5,591 920 252 1,638 789 524 218 25 199

25 to 34 years ....................................... 17,680 14,001 1,959 1,066 3,894 1,497 1,066 298 48 534

35 to 44 years ....................................... 17,051 13,564 1,819 1,167 3,468 1,126 845 163 55 507

45 to 54 years ....................................... 17,886 14,579 1,857 1,070 2,693 833 614 151 43 274

55 to 64 years ....................................... 13,435 11,366 1,171 651 1,356 542 416 86 20 102

65 years and older ................................ 4,855 4,215 323 236 307 77 55 15 6 23

 Women, 16 years and older ............. 69,839 54,472 9,423 3,851 9,933 5,425 3,637 1,398 179 1,332

16 to 19 years ....................................... 1,571 1,268 187 37 297 202 152 36 5 67

20 to 24 years ....................................... 6,583 5,009 1,012 239 1,227 1,008 689 233 36 176

25 to 34 years ....................................... 15,000 11,316 2,231 893 2,572 1,588 1,032 451 39 405

35 to 44 years ....................................... 14,594 11,010 2,150 981 2,495 1,143 699 352 44 317

45 to 54 years ....................................... 16,096 12,670 2,162 881 2,047 841 575 210 28 240

55 to 64 years ....................................... 12,152 9,942 1,335 639 1,032 570 437 101 24 110

65 years and older ................................ 3,844 3,257 346 179 262 71 52 14 3 17

Age and gender

Rate1

Total White

Black or

African

American Asian

Hispanic or

Latino

ethnicity

 Total, 16 years and older .................. 7.0 6.1 13.3 4.5 12.8

16 to 19 years ....................................... 11.2 10.5 15.8 8.4 20.7

20 to 24 years ....................................... 13.2 11.4 23.3 12.3 13.1

25 to 34 years ....................................... 9.4 8.3 17.9 4.4 14.5

35 to 44 years ....................................... 7.2 6.3 13.0 4.6 13.8

45 to 54 years ....................................... 4.9 4.4 9.0 3.7 10.8

55 to 64 years ....................................... 4.3 4.0 7.5 3.4 8.8

65 years and older ................................ 1.7 1.4 4.4 2.2 7.1

 Men, 16 years and older ................... 6.3 5.6 11.6 4.4 12.4

16 to 19 years ....................................... 9.7 9.1 12.4 2 ( ) 19.0

20 to 24 years ....................................... 11.2 9.4 23.6 9.8 12.2

25 to 34 years ....................................... 8.5 7.6 15.2 4.5 13.7

35 to 44 years ....................................... 6.6 6.2 9.0 4.7 14.6

45 to 54 years ....................................... 4.7 4.2 8.2 4.1 10.2

55 to 64 years ....................................... 4.0 3.7 7.3 3.1 7.5

65 years and older ................................ 1.6 1.3 4.8 2.6 7.4

 Women, 16 years and older ............. 7.8 6.7 14.8 4.7 13.4

16 to 19 years ....................................... 12.9 12.0 19.5 2 ( ) 22.6

20 to 24 years ....................................... 15.3 13.8 23.0 14.9 14.3

25 to 34 years ....................................... 10.6 9.1 20.2 4.4 15.8

35 to 44 years ....................................... 7.8 6.4 16.4 4.5 12.7

45 to 54 years ....................................... 5.2 4.5 9.7 3.2 11.7

55 to 64 years ....................................... 4.7 4.4 7.6 3.8 10.6

65 years and older ................................ 1.9 1.6 4.0 1.6 6.6

1 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more. 2 Data not shown where base is less than 80,000.

Note: 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. 

7
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A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

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

ethnicity, and gender, 2013

(Numbers in thousands)

Educational attainment, race, and 

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity Total Men Women

Below poverty level Rate1

Total Men Women Total Men Women

 Total, 16 years and older ......................... 149,483 79,643 69,839 10,450 5,025 5,425 7.0 6.3 7.8

Less than a high school diploma ................ 12,984 8,283 4,701 2,490 1,506 984 19.2 18.2 20.9

 Less than 1 year of high school ............... 4,339 2,949 1,390 900 608 292 20.7 20.6 21.0

 1–3 years of high school .......................... 6,837 4,201 2,636 1,299 734 565 19.0 17.5 21.4

 4 years of high school, no diploma .......... 1,808 1,133 675 291 164 127 16.1 14.5 18.8

High school graduates, no college2 ............ 41,160 23,778 17,382 3,683 1,869 1,814 8.9 7.9 10.4

Some college or associate’s degree ........... 43,811 21,644 22,167 3,105 1,144 1,961 7.1 5.3 8.8

 Some college, no degree ......................... 28,103 14,378 13,725 2,315 890 1,425 8.2 6.2 10.4

 Associate’s degree .................................. 15,708 7,266 8,443 790 254 536 5.0 3.5 6.3

Bachelor’s degree and higher3 ................... 51,527 25,939 25,589 1,171 506 665 2.3 1.9 2.6

 White, 16 years and older ........................ 119,102 64,630 54,472 7,276 3,638 3,637 6.1 5.6 6.7

Less than a high school diploma ................ 10,243 6,759 3,484 1,854 1,154 700 18.1 17.1 20.1

 Less than 1 year of high school ............... 3,622 2,557 1,065 735 507 227 20.3 19.8 21.3

 1–3 years of high school .......................... 5,254 3,300 1,953 898 519 379 17.1 15.7 19.4

 4 years of high school, no diploma .......... 1,367 901 466 221 128 93 16.2 14.2 20.0

High school graduates, no college2 ............ 32,580 19,288 13,293 2,426 1,293 1,133 7.4 6.7 8.5

Some college or associate’s degree ........... 34,751 17,484 17,267 2,151 819 1,333 6.2 4.7 7.7

 Some college, no degree ......................... 21,953 11,506 10,447 1,584 630 954 7.2 5.5 9.1

 Associate’s degree .................................. 12,797 5,977 6,820 567 189 378 4.4 3.2 5.5

Bachelor’s degree and higher3 ................... 41,528 21,099 20,428 845 373 472 2.0 1.8 2.3

 Black or African American, 16 years and

older ..................................................... 17,675 8,252 9,423 2,355 957 1,398 13.3 11.6 14.8

Less than a high school diploma ................ 1,625 878 747 442 225 217 27.2 25.7 29.1

 Less than 1 year of high school ............... 306 165 142 75 40 35 24.5 24.6 24.4

 1–3 years of high school .......................... 1,025 562 462 306 153 154 29.9 27.2 33.2

 4 years of high school, no diploma .......... 294 152 142 61 32 29 20.8 21.2 20.2

High school graduates, no college2 ............ 5,663 2,890 2,773 1,003 436 567 17.7 15.1 20.4

Some college or associate’s degree ........... 5,995 2,609 3,386 755 249 505 12.6 9.6 14.9

 Some college, no degree ......................... 4,131 1,828 2,303 578 199 378 14.0 10.9 16.4

 Associate’s degree .................................. 1,864 781 1,083 177 50 127 9.5 6.4 11.7

Bachelor’s degree and higher3 ................... 4,392 1,874 2,518 155 46 109 3.5 2.5 4.3

 Asian, 16 years and older ........................ 8,344 4,493 3,851 379 199 179 4.5 4.4 4.7

Less than a high school diploma ................ 589 288 301 67 32 35 11.4 11.0 11.8

 Less than 1 year of high school ............... 277 125 151 50 24 26 18.0 19.1 17.2

 1–3 years of high school .......................... 218 119 99 14 8 6 6.3 6.6 5.9

 4 years of high school, no diploma .......... 94 44 50 4 – 4 3.8 4 ( ) 4 ( )

High school graduates, no college2 ............ 1,584 873 712 107 70 37 6.7 8.0 5.2

Some college or associate’s degree ........... 1,616 853 764 73 33 40 4.5 3.9 5.2

 Some college, no degree ......................... 1,019 541 477 50 20 31 5.0 3.7 6.4

 Associate’s degree .................................. 598 311 286 22 13 9 3.7 4.2 3.1

Bachelor’s degree and higher3 ................... 4,554 2,479 2,075 132 65 67 2.9 2.6 3.2

 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 16 years and

older ...................................................... 23,618 13,685 9,933 3,033 1,701 1,332 12.8 12.4 13.4

Less than a high school diploma ................ 6,544 4,410 2,134 1,436 956 480 21.9 21.7 22.5

 Less than 1 year of high school ............... 3,202 2,254 947 694 497 196 21.7 22.1 20.7

 1–3 years of high school .......................... 2,686 1,723 963 616 384 232 22.9 22.3 24.1

 4 years of high school, no diploma .......... 656 432 224 126 75 52 19.3 17.3 23.0

High school graduates, no college2 ............ 7,153 4,323 2,830 875 457 419 12.2 10.6 14.8

Some college or associate’s degree ........... 6,150 3,058 3,092 567 213 354 9.2 7.0 11.4

 Some college, no degree ......................... 4,174 2,148 2,025 437 175 263 10.5 8.1 13.0

 Associate’s degree .................................. 1,976 909 1,067 130 39 91 6.6 4.2 8.6

Bachelor’s degree and higher3 ................... 3,771 1,895 1,876 154 75 79 4.1 4.0 4.2

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. 4 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. 

8
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A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

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, 2013

(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 .......................................... 146,559 78,021 68,537 9,159 4,326 4,832 6.2 5.5 7.1

 Management, professional, and related occupations .... 55,349 26,678 28,672 1,188 480 708 2.1 1.8 2.5

 Management, business, and financial operations

occupations .............................................................. 23,204 12,929 10,275 456 223 233 2.0 1.7 2.3

 Professional and related occupations .......................... 32,146 13,749 18,397 732 257 475 2.3 1.9 2.6

 Service occupations ...................................................... 25,509 11,010 14,500 3,598 1,308 2,290 14.1 11.9 15.8

 Sales and office occupations ......................................... 34,182 13,174 21,008 2,001 678 1,323 5.9 5.1 6.3

 Sales and related occupations .................................... 16,131 8,199 7,933 1,208 408 800 7.5 5.0 10.1

 Office and administrative support occupations ............ 18,050 4,975 13,076 793 270 522 4.4 5.4 4.0

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations .............................................................. 13,586 12,964 622 1,121 1,019 103 8.3 7.9 16.5

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .................. 1,129 825 304 195 117 78 17.2 14.2 25.6

 Construction and extraction occupations ..................... 7,530 7,377 153 748 727 21 9.9 9.9 13.7

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...... 4,926 4,762 164 179 175 4 3.6 3.7 2.4

 Production, transportation, and material-moving

occupations .............................................................. 17,813 14,098 3,715 1,247 838 409 7.0 5.9 11.0

 Production occupations ............................................... 8,702 6,362 2,340 511 299 213 5.9 4.7 9.1

 Transportation and material-moving occupations ........ 9,111 7,735 1,376 736 539 196 8.1 7.0 14.3

 White, 16 years and older2 ......................................... 117,160 63,542 53,618 6,501 3,219 3,282 5.5 5.1 6.1

 Management, professional, and related occupations .... 45,311 22,111 23,200 890 362 528 2.0 1.6 2.3

 Management, business, and financial operations

occupations .............................................................. 19,540 11,113 8,427 345 158 187 1.8 1.4 2.2

 Professional and related occupations .......................... 25,771 10,998 14,773 545 204 341 2.1 1.9 2.3

 Service occupations ...................................................... 18,861 8,245 10,616 2,396 908 1,488 12.7 11.0 14.0

 Sales and office occupations ......................................... 27,359 10,643 16,716 1,436 494 941 5.2 4.6 5.6

 Sales and related occupations .................................... 12,873 6,788 6,085 851 304 548 6.6 4.5 9.0

 Office and administrative support occupations ............ 14,486 3,855 10,631 584 190 394 4.0 4.9 3.7

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations .............................................................. 11,861 11,373 488 978 889 89 8.2 7.8 18.3

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .................. 990 731 259 179 103 75 18.1 14.2 29.2

 Construction and extraction occupations ..................... 6,734 6,609 125 661 648 14 9.8 9.8 11.1

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...... 4,137 4,033 104 138 138 – 3.3 3.4 –

 Production, transportation, and material-moving

occupations .............................................................. 13,681 11,096 2,585 798 562 236 5.8 5.1 9.1

 Production occupations ............................................... 6,829 5,203 1,626 322 204 119 4.7 3.9 7.3

 Transportation and material-moving occupations ........ 6,852 5,892 959 476 359 117 6.9 6.1 12.2

 Black or African American, 16 years and older2 ......... 16,976 7,875 9,100 1,946 730 1,216 11.5 9.3 13.4

 Management, professional, and related occupations .... 4,901 1,875 3,026 160 58 103 3.3 3.1 3.4

 Management, business, and financial operations

occupations .............................................................. 1,733 787 947 64 33 31 3.7 4.2 3.3

 Professional and related occupations .......................... 3,168 1,089 2,079 96 25 71 3.0 2.3 3.4

 Service occupations ...................................................... 4,242 1,710 2,532 938 279 659 22.1 16.3 26.0

 Sales and office occupations ......................................... 4,127 1,408 2,718 434 120 314 10.5 8.5 11.5

 Sales and related occupations .................................... 1,842 716 1,126 266 57 209 14.4 8.0 18.5

 Office and administrative support occupations ............ 2,285 693 1,592 167 62 105 7.3 9.0 6.6

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations .............................................................. 978 891 87 87 76 11 8.9 8.5 12.7

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .................. 85 54 31 5 5 – 5.6 3 ( ) 3 ( )

 Construction and extraction occupations ..................... 441 425 16 51 44 7 11.5 10.3 3 ( )

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...... 451 411 40 31 27 4 6.9 6.6 3 ( )

 Production, transportation, and material-moving

occupations .............................................................. 2,709 1,979 730 327 198 129 12.1 10.0 17.7

 Production occupations ............................................... 1,084 695 389 129 62 68 11.9 8.9 17.4

 Transportation and material-moving occupations ........ 1,625 1,284 341 198 136 62 12.2 10.6 18.1

See footnotes at end of table.

9
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A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

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, 2013 — 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 ......................................... 8,164 4,385 3,778 311 159 151 3.8 3.6 4.0

 Management, professional, and related occupations .... 3,899 2,176 1,723 79 42 37 2.0 1.9 2.1

 Management, business, and financial operations

occupations .............................................................. 1,396 788 608 23 20 3 1.7 2.5 .5

 Professional and related occupations .......................... 2,503 1,388 1,115 56 22 34 2.2 1.6 3.0

 Service occupations ...................................................... 1,428 606 822 122 57 64 8.5 9.4 7.8

 Sales and office occupations ......................................... 1,657 741 916 50 25 25 3.0 3.4 2.7

 Sales and related occupations .................................... 920 479 441 34 22 12 3.7 4.7 2.7

 Office and administrative support occupations ............ 737 261 475 15 3 13 2.1 1.0 2.7

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations .............................................................. 291 271 20 12 12 – 4.0 4.3 3 ( )

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .................. 18 12 6 3 3 – 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 3 ( )

 Construction and extraction occupations ..................... 79 77 1 1 1 – 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 3 ( )

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...... 195 181 13 7 7 – 3.7 4.0 3 ( )

 Production, transportation, and material-moving

occupations .............................................................. 881 585 296 49 23 25 5.5 4.0 8.6

 Production occupations ............................................... 541 282 259 38 14 23 7.0 5.1 9.1

 Transportation and material-moving occupations ........ 340 303 37 11 9 2 3.3 3.0 3 ( )

 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 16 years and older2 ....... 23,106 13,407 9,699 2,749 1,557 1,193 11.9 11.6 12.3

 Management, professional, and related occupations .... 4,631 2,114 2,518 157 76 81 3.4 3.6 3.2

 Management, business, and financial operations

occupations .............................................................. 2,006 1,079 927 65 28 37 3.2 2.6 4.0

 Professional and related occupations .......................... 2,625 1,035 1,591 93 48 45 3.5 4.6 2.8

 Service occupations ...................................................... 5,881 2,789 3,092 1,128 485 643 19.2 17.4 20.8

 Sales and office occupations ......................................... 5,075 2,095 2,979 472 188 285 9.3 9.0 9.6

 Sales and related occupations .................................... 2,347 1,125 1,222 251 103 148 10.7 9.1 12.1

 Office and administrative support occupations ............ 2,727 970 1,757 222 85 136 8.1 8.8 7.8

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations .............................................................. 3,580 3,369 211 613 544 69 17.1 16.2 32.8

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .................. 489 340 149 128 70 57 26.1 20.7 38.4

 Construction and extraction occupations ..................... 2,259 2,212 47 419 408 10 18.5 18.5 3 ( )

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...... 832 816 16 67 65 2 8.1 8.0 3 ( )

 Production, transportation, and material-moving

occupations .............................................................. 3,921 3,027 894 378 263 115 9.6 8.7 12.8

 Production occupations ............................................... 1,916 1,371 544 146 88 58 7.6 6.4 10.6

 Transportation and material-moving occupations ........ 2,006 1,656 350 232 175 57 11.6 10.6 16.2

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. 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
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A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

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, 2013

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic Total families At or above

poverty level

Below poverty

level Rate1

 Total primary families ................................................ 66,462 61,325 5,137 7.7

With related children under 18 years ................................ 34,938 30,823 4,115 11.8

Without children ................................................................ 31,525 30,502 1,022 3.2

With one member in the labor force .................................. 28,964 24,702 4,263 14.7

With two or more members in the labor force ................... 37,498 36,624 874 2.3

 With two members .......................................................... 31,466 30,671 796 2.5

 With three or more members .......................................... 6,032 5,953 79 1.3

 Married-couple families ............................................. 49,064 47,018 2,046 4.2

With related children under 18 years ................................ 24,369 22,820 1,549 6.4

Without children ................................................................ 24,695 24,198 496 2.0

With one member in the labor force .................................. 17,153 15,649 1,504 8.8

 Husband .......................................................................... 12,182 11,010 1,172 9.6

 Wife ................................................................................. 4,240 3,969 271 6.4

 Relative ........................................................................... 731 670 61 8.3

With two or more members in the labor force ................... 31,911 31,369 541 1.7

 With two members .......................................................... 27,015 26,522 493 1.8

 With three or more members .......................................... 4,896 4,847 49 1.0

 Families maintained by women ................................. 11,893 9,413 2,480 20.8

With related children under 18 years ................................ 7,803 5,627 2,176 27.9

Without children ................................................................ 4,090 3,786 303 7.4

With one member in the labor force .................................. 8,422 6,176 2,246 26.7

 Householder .................................................................... 6,797 4,881 1,916 28.2

 Relative ........................................................................... 1,625 1,295 330 20.3

With two or more members in the labor force ................... 3,470 3,237 234 6.7

 Families maintained by men ..................................... 5,506 4,894 612 11.1

With related children under 18 years ................................ 2,766 2,376 389 14.1

Without children ................................................................ 2,740 2,518 223 8.1

With one member in the labor force .................................. 3,389 2,876 513 15.1

 Householder .................................................................... 2,778 2,385 394 14.2

 Relative ........................................................................... 610 491 119 19.5

With two or more members in the labor force ................... 2,117 2,018 99 4.7

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

11
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A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

Table 6. People in families and unrelated individuals: poverty status and work experience, 2013

(Numbers in thousands)

Poverty status and work experience Total

people

In married-couple families In families maintained by

women

In families maintained by

men

Unrelated

individuals Husbands Wives

Related

children

under

18

years

Other

relatives

Householder

Related

children

under

18

years

Other

relatives

Householder

Related

children

under

18

years

Other

relatives

Total

 All people1 .................................. 247,258 58,964 59,660 5,702 20,991 15,175 2,256 13,656 6,285 625 6,765 57,177

With labor force activity .................. 161,813 44,754 36,885 1,353 12,997 10,560 445 8,193 4,874 126 4,286 37,341

 1 to 26 weeks ............................... 12,330 1,432 2,499 817 2,565 783 263 1,037 203 81 369 2,280

 27 weeks or more ........................ 149,483 43,321 34,385 536 10,431 9,776 183 7,156 4,670 44 3,918 35,061

With no labor force activity ............. 85,445 14,211 22,775 4,349 7,995 4,616 1,811 5,464 1,411 499 2,479 19,837

At or above poverty level

 All people1 .................................. 215,301 55,518 56,183 5,292 19,813 10,535 1,570 11,001 5,289 524 5,819 43,757

With labor force activity .................. 148,821 42,900 35,954 1,308 12,609 7,986 363 7,211 4,337 118 3,925 32,112

 1 to 26 weeks ............................... 9,789 1,272 2,308 786 2,416 323 198 781 148 75 289 1,192

 27 weeks or more ........................ 139,033 41,628 33,646 522 10,193 7,662 164 6,430 4,189 43 3,636 30,920

With no labor force activity ............. 66,480 12,618 20,230 3,984 7,205 2,549 1,207 3,790 952 406 1,894 11,645

Below poverty level

 All people1 .................................. 31,957 3,447 3,476 410 1,178 4,641 686 2,655 996 101 945 13,420

With labor force activity .................. 12,991 1,854 931 45 388 2,574 82 982 537 8 361 5,229

 1 to 26 weeks ............................... 2,542 161 191 31 149 460 64 256 55 7 79 1,088

 27 weeks or more ........................ 10,450 1,693 740 14 239 2,114 18 726 482 2 282 4,141

With no labor force activity ............. 18,966 1,593 2,545 365 790 2,067 604 1,673 459 93 585 8,192

Rate2

 All people1 .................................. 12.9 5.8 5.8 7.2 5.6 30.6 30.4 19.4 15.8 16.2 14.0 23.5

With labor force activity .................. 8.0 4.1 2.5 3.3 3.0 24.4 18.5 12.0 11.0 6.6 8.4 14.0

 1 to 26 weeks ............................... 20.6 11.2 7.6 3.8 5.8 58.7 24.4 24.7 27.2 8.2 21.5 47.7

 27 weeks or more ........................ 7.0 3.9 2.2 2.6 2.3 21.6 10.0 10.1 10.3 3 ( ) 7.2 11.8

With no labor force activity ............. 22.2 11.2 11.2 8.4 9.9 44.8 33.3 30.6 32.5 18.7 23.6 41.3

1 Data on families include primary families that own or rent the housing unit as well as related and unrelated subfamilies that reside with them. 2 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total. 3 Data not shown where base is less than 80,000.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

12
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A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

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, 2013

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic Total At or above

poverty level

Below poverty

level Rate1

Age and gender

Total unrelated individuals ............................................................................ 35,061 30,920 4,141 11.8

16 to 19 years ................................................................................................... 345 206 139 40.3

20 to 24 years ................................................................................................... 4,413 3,444 969 22.0

25 to 64 years ................................................................................................... 28,081 25,094 2,987 10.6

65 years and older ............................................................................................ 2,222 2,177 45 2.0

Men ................................................................................................................... 18,934 16,818 2,116 11.2

Women ............................................................................................................. 16,127 14,102 2,025 12.6

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

White ............................................................................................................... 28,020 24,957 3,063 10.9

 Men ................................................................................................................ 15,276 13,760 1,516 9.9

 Women .......................................................................................................... 12,745 11,197 1,548 12.1

Black or African American ............................................................................... 4,721 3,954 767 16.3

 Men ................................................................................................................ 2,379 1,938 441 18.5

 Women .......................................................................................................... 2,342 2,015 327 13.9

Asian ................................................................................................................ 1,292 1,126 165 12.8

 Men ................................................................................................................ 707 636 71 10.0

 Women .......................................................................................................... 585 490 94 16.1

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ............................................................................... 4,748 3,947 801 16.9

 Men ................................................................................................................ 2,994 2,509 485 16.2

 Women .......................................................................................................... 1,754 1,438 316 18.0

Living arrangement

Living alone ...................................................................................................... 17,935 16,402 1,534 8.6

Living with others .............................................................................................. 17,126 14,518 2,607 15.2

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.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

13
BLS Reports │ July 2015 • www.bls.gov 15

A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

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, 2013

(Numbers in thousands)

Labor market problems Total At or above

poverty level

Below poverty

level Rate1

 Total, full-time wage and salary workers ..................................................... 113,953 109,549 4,404 3.9

No unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, or low earnings2 ......... 94,043 93,389 654 .7

Unemployment only .......................................................................................... 6,105 5,496 609 10.0

Involuntary part-time employment only ............................................................. 2,604 2,529 75 2.9

Low earnings only ............................................................................................. 6,883 5,185 1,698 24.7

Unemployment and involuntary part-time employment .................................... 1,160 1,013 147 12.7

Unemployment and low earnings ..................................................................... 1,751 1,033 718 41.0

Involuntary part-time employment and low earnings ........................................ 900 609 291 32.3

Unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, and low earnings ............. 507 294 213 42.1

Unemployment (alone or with other problems) ................................................. 9,523 7,837 1,687 17.7

Involuntary part-time employment (alone or with other problems) ................... 5,171 4,446 725 14.0

Low earnings (alone or with other problems) ................................................... 10,041 7,121 2,920 29.1

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 2013 was $342.87 per week.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

14
Technical Notes

A PROFILE O F THE WORKING POOR, 2013

16 BLS Reports │ July 2015 • www.bls.gov

Source of data

The data presented in this report were collected in the 

Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the

Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS is a monthly

sample survey of about 60,000 eligible households,

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

Labor Statistics. Data from the CPS are used to obtain

the 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 2014 refer to

the 2013 calendar year. 

The 2013 data in this report are based on fewer

sample responses than in recent years. Approximately

three-eighths of the 2014 CPS ASEC was used to test

redesigned questions on income and health insurance

coverage; this portion of the sample was not used to

generate estimates in this news release.

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, 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, and more extensive definitions

than those provided in these Technical Notes, see

Income and Poverty in the United States: 2013, Current

Population Reports, P60-249 (U.S. Census Bureau,

September 2014). This publication is available on the U.S.

Census Bureau website at 

http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/

publications/2014/demo/p60-249.pdf, and additional

information about income and poverty measures is

available at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/

income.html. 

Material in this report is in the public domain and,

with appropriate credit, may be reproduced without

permission. 

This information is available to sensory-impaired

individuals upon request. 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.

Comparability of estimates

The data presented in this release are not strictly 

comparable with data for earlier years due to the

introduction of updated population estimates, or controls,

used in the CPS. The population controls are updated 

each year in January to reflect the latest information

about population change. Additional information is at

http://www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#pop.

Estimates of the working poor for years through 2012 were

affected by several errors, as described at http://www.bls.

gov/bls/errata/corrected-working-poor-data.htm. These 

errors do not affect estimates for 2013.

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

predicated on the basis of factors such as family size and

the number of children under 18 years of age.

The actual poverty thresholds vary, due to the makeup 

of the family. In 2013, the weighted average poverty

threshold for a family of four was $23,834; for a family of

nine or more people, the threshold was $48,065; and for
BLS Reports │ July 2015 • www.bls.gov 17

A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

one person (unrelated individual), it was $11,888. 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: 

2013, at http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/

library/publications/2014/demo/p60-249.pdf. 

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 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 2013, the low-earnings threshold

was $342.87 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, at www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1989/10/art1full.pdf. 

Income. 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 employerprovided benefits. For a complete definition of income,

see Income and Poverty in the United States: 2013, at

http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/

publications/2014/demo/p60-249.pdf. 

Labor force. People in the labor force are those 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.

Working poor. 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.

Working-poor rate. This 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 percent of all

people who were in the labor force for at least 27 weeks

during the calendar year. 

Involuntary part-time workers. These are people who,

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

hours because of slack work or 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. This term refers to the job in which a person

worked the most weeks during the calendar year. 

Unemployed. 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. 

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

people 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 consists of the reference person (householder)

and all people 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 survey interview and, thus,

may be different from that of the previous year.

Unrelated individuals. These are people who are not 

living with anyone related to them by birth, marriage,

or adoption. Such individuals may live alone, reside in

a nonrelated family household, or live in group quarters

with other unrelated individuals. 
18 BLS Reports │ July 2015 • www.bls.gov

A PROFILE OF THE WORKING POOR, 2013

Race. 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. In the enumeration process, race

is determined by the household respondent. 

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. This refers to people who

identified themselves in the CPS enumeration process as

being of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish ethnicity. People

whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be

of any race.