1 See Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 

2008, Current Population Reports, series P-60, no. 236 (U.S. Census Bureau, September 2009), on the Internet at http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/p60-236.

pdf. (See table 4.)

A Profi le of the Working 

Poor, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statisitics

March 2010

Report 1022

Table A. Poverty status of persons and primary families in the 

labor force for 27 or more weeks, 2005–08 

(Numbers in thousands) 

 

 Characteristic 2005 2006 2007 2008 

Total persons1 ...................... 142,824 145,229 146,567 147,838

 In poverty .......................... 7,744 7,427 7,521 8,883

 Poverty rate ...................... 5.4 5.1 5.1 6.0

Unrelated individuals ............ 31,422 31,887 33,226 32,785

 In poverty .......................... 2,846 2,741 2,558 3,275

 Poverty rate ...................... 9.1 8.6 7.7 10.0

Primary families2

 .................. 64,360 65,388 65,158 65,907

 In poverty .......................... 4,094 3,960 4,169 4,538

 Poverty rate ...................... 6.4 6.1 6.4 6.9

1

 Includes persons 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. 

I

n 2008, according to the Census Bureau, 39.8 million people, 

or 13.2 percent of the Nation’s population, lived at or below the 

offi cial poverty level.1 The poor consisted primarily of adults who 

had not participated in the labor force during the year, but also 

included children. In 2008, about 8.9 million adults were among 

the “working poor,” 1.4 million more than in 2007. The working 

poor are individuals who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force 

(working or looking for work), but whose incomes still fell below 

the offi cial poverty level. In 2008, the working-poor rate—the ratio of the working poor to all individuals in the labor force for at 

least 27 weeks—was 6.0 percent, up by 0.9 percentage point from 

the previous year’s fi gure. (See tables A and 1, and chart 1.) 

Following are some additional highlights from the 2008 data: 

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

2008, 3.9 percent of those usually employed full time were 

classifi ed as working poor, compared with 13.7 percent of 

part-time workers.

• Black and Hispanic workers continued to be more than 

twice as likely as White or Asian workers to be poor. 

• The likelihood of being classifi ed as working poor greatly 

diminishes as workers attain higher levels of education. In 

2008, only 1.7 percent of college graduates who were in the 

labor force for at least 27 weeks were among the working 

poor, compared with 18.3 percent of those with less than a 

high school diploma.

• Among families with at least one member in the labor force 

for 27 weeks or more, those families with children under 

18 years old were more than 4 times more likely than those 

without children to live in poverty.

• Women who maintain families were more than twice as 

likely as their male counterparts to be among the working 

poor.

This report presents data on the relationship between labor 

force activity and poverty status in 2008 for workers and their 

families. The specifi c 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. The data were 

collected in the 2009 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 

defi nitions used in this report, see the Technical Note at the end 

of the report.) 

Demographic characteristics

Of all individuals in the labor force for at least 27 weeks during 

2008, nearly the same number of men and women were poor (4.4 

million and 4.5 million, respectively). The working-poor rate, 

however, continued to be higher for women (6.5 percent) than for 

men (5.6 percent). (See table 2.) The levels and rates for both men 

and women were higher in 2008 than in 2007. 

Although 71 percent of the working poor were White, Blacks 

and Hispanics continued to be more than twice as likely as their 

White counterparts to be among the working poor. White working 

men and women who spent at least 27 weeks or more in the labor 

force were about equally likely to be poor (5.1 percent and 5.5 

percent, respectively), as were Hispanic men (12.6 percent) and 

women (12.1 percent). In contrast, Black women had a workingpoor rate of 12.7 percent, higher than the rate for Black men (8.9 

percent).

Young workers are more vulnerable to poverty than are other 

groups, in part because their earnings are lower and their unemployment is higher than their older counterparts’ earnings and 

BLS

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.
2

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

6.5

7.0

1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007

unemployment. Among youths who were in the labor force for 

27 weeks or more in 2008, 12.7 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds 

and 11.5 percent of 20- to 24-year-olds were in poverty, roughly 

double the rate for workers aged 35 to 44 years (5.8 percent). 

Workers aged 45 to 54 years (4.1 percent) and 55 to 64 years (3.3 

percent) had lower working-poor rates than the other age groups 

had in 2008.

 Educational attainment

Achieving higher levels of education greatly reduces the incidence of living in poverty. Individuals who complete more years 

of education have greater access to higher paying jobs—such as 

managerial, professional, and related occupations—than those 

with fewer years of education. Of all the people in the labor force 

for more than half of 2008, those with less than a high school 

diploma had a higher working-poor rate (18.3 percent) than did 

high school graduates with no college (7.2 percent). Workers with 

an associate’s degree and those with a bachelor’s degree or higher 

posted the lowest working-poor rates: 3.5 percent and 1.7 percent, 

respectively. At all levels of educational attainment, Blacks and 

Hispanics were more likely to be among the working poor than 

were Whites or Asians. (See table 3.) 

 Working-poor rates were fairly similar among employed 

White men and women at all educational levels. For example, 

18.2 percent of White women with less than a high school diploma who spent at least half the year in the labor force were among 

the working poor, compared with 16.1 percent of their male counterparts. Among college graduates, the proportions classifi ed as 

working poor were 1.8 percent and 1.2 percent for White women 

and White men, respectively. In contrast, Black women with less 

than a high school diploma were considerably more likely than 

their male counterparts to be among the working poor: 32.5 percent compared with 22.7 percent, respectively. Men and women 

of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity with less than a high school diploma also had relatively high working poor rates (20.4 percent 

and 23.2 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 classifi ed as working poor (2.1 percent) in 2008. 

In contrast, individuals employed in occupations that typically 

do not require high levels of education and that are characterized by relatively lower earnings were more likely to be among 

the working poor. For example, 12.1 percent of service workers were classifi ed as working poor in 2008. Indeed, service occupations, with 2.9 million working poor, accounted for nearly 

one-third of all those classifi ed as working poor. Among those 

employed in natural resource, construction, and maintenance 

occupations, 7.5 percent of workers were classifi ed as working poor. Within this occupation group, 14.3 percent of workers 

employed in farming, forestry, and fi shing occupations and 8.8 

Chart 1. Poverty rate of persons in the labor force for 27 or more weeks, 1987–2008

Percent

SOURCE: Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Current Population Survey (CPS), Bureau of Labor Statistics.
3

percent of those in construction and extraction occupations were 

among the working poor. (See table 4.) 

Families

In 2008, 4.5 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 2008 fi gure was up from 4.2 million in 2007. 

Among families with only one member in the labor force for at 

least 27 weeks in 2008, married-couple families had a lower likelihood of living below the poverty level (8.8 percent) than did 

families maintained by women (23.7 percent) or by men (12.5 

percent), a pattern that held regardless of which member of the 

married-couple family was in the labor force. (See table 5.) 

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

half the year, those with children had a greater likelihood of living 

below the poverty level than did families without children. The 

proportion of families with children aged 18 years and younger 

that lived in poverty was 10.6 percent, in contrast to 2.5 percent for 

families without children. About 25 percent of families maintained 

by a woman with children under the age of 18 were in poverty. 

The proportion in poverty for families maintained by men with 

children also was relatively high: 12.1 percent. Among marriedcouple families with children, the proportion classifi ed as working 

poor was 6.2 percent in 2008, up from 5.5 percent in 2007.

Unrelated individuals 

Of the 32.8 million unrelated individuals who were in the labor 

force for half the year or longer in 2008, 3.3 million lived below 

the poverty level. The “unrelated individuals” category includes 

individuals who live by themselves or with others not related to 

them. The working-poor rate for unrelated individuals was 10.0 

percent in 2008, up from 7.7 percent in 2007. (See table 6.) 

Within the group of unrelated individuals, teenagers were 

those most likely to be among the working poor. In 2008, nearly 

half of teens living on their own or with others not related to them 

and who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more lived below the poverty level. Overall, the working-poor rate for women 

and men living alone or with unrelated individuals was about the 

same: 10.2 percent and 9.8 percent, respectively. The rates for unrelated individuals classifi ed as working poor were much higher 

for Blacks (12.1 percent) and Hispanics (16.2 percent) than for 

their White counterparts (9.6 percent). (See table 7.) 

Of the 3.3 million unrelated individuals considered to be 

among the working poor in 2008, 64.3 percent lived with others. These individuals had a working-poor rate more than twice 

that of 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 suffi cient 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 classifi ed as poor—to live at a higher standard than they 

would have if they lived alone.

Labor market problems

As noted earlier, workers who usually work full time are much 

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 

27 weeks or more and usually worked in full-time wage and salary jobs, 4.1 million, or 3.6 percent, were classifi ed as working 

poor in 2008, little different than the proportion in 2007. (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 parttime employment. (See the Technical Note for detailed defi nitions.)

In 2008, 85.8 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 nearly 7 in every 10 subject to low earnings, either alone 

or in combination with other labor market problems. About 38 

percent experienced unemployment alone or in conjunction with 

other problems, up from 29 percent in 2007. In 2008, 6.7 percent 

of the working poor experienced all three problems: low earnings, 

unemployment, and involuntary part-time employment.

Some 576,000, or 14.2 percent, of the working poor who usually worked full time did not experience any of the three primary 

labor market problems in 2008. Their classifi cation 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.
4

Technical Note

Source of data

The data presented in this report were collected in the Annual 

Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS is a monthly sample survey of about 60,000 

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 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 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 2009 refer to the 2008 calendar year.

The estimates in this report are based on a sample and, consequently, may differ from fi gures 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 Annual Social and Economic 

Supplement to the CPS, its sampling variability, and more extensive defi nitions than those provided in this Technical Note, see 

Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United 

States: 2008, Current Population Reports, series P-60-236 (RV), 

(U.S. Census Bureau, September 2009). This publication also is 

available on the U.S. Census Bureau Web site at http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/p60-236.pdf.

Information in this report will be made available to sensoryimpaired 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, write 

to the U.S. 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 2008 estimates in this report, which were collected in the 

2009 Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the CPS, are 

not strictly comparable with data for 2007 and earlier years because of the introduction in January 2009 of revised population 

controls used in the CPS. For additional information, see “Adjustments to Household Survey Population Estimates in January 2009,” on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps09adj.

pdf.

Concepts and defi nitions

Poverty classifi cation. Poverty statistics presented in this report 

are based on defi nitions developed by the Social Security Administration in 1964 and revised by Federal interagency committees 

in 1969 and 1981. These defi nitions originally were based on the 

Department of Agriculture’s Economy Food Plan and refl ected 

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 in accordance with the 

makeup of the family. In 2008, the average poverty threshold for a 

family of four was $22,025; for a family of nine or more persons, 

the threshold was $44,346; and for an unrelated individual aged 

65 years or older, it was $10,326. Poverty thresholds are updated 

each year to refl ect changes in the Consumer Price Index for All 

Urban Consumers (CPI-U). The thresholds do not vary geographically. (For more information, see Income, Poverty, and Health 

Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008, cited earlier.)

Low earnings. The low-earnings level, as fi rst 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 fi rst 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 that the measure maintains the same real value that it 

held in 1987. In 2008, the low-earnings threshold was $316.89 

per week. For a more complete defi nition, see Bruce W. Klein and 

Philip L. Rones, “A profi le of the working poor,” Monthly Labor 

Review, October 1989, pp. 3–13, on the Internet at http://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 supplement. Data on income do not 

include the value of noncash benefi ts such as food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, public housing, and employer-provided benefi ts. 

For a complete defi nition of income, see Income, Poverty, and 

Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008, previously cited. 

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

worked or looked for work sometime during the calendar year 

preceding the administration of the CPS supplement. The number 

of weeks in the labor force is accumulated over the entire year. 

The focus in this report is on persons who were in the labor force 

for 27 weeks or more.

Involuntary part-time workers. These are persons 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 fi nd 

full-time work. The number of weeks of involuntary part-time 

work is accumulated over the year.

Occupation. This term 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 were expecting to be recalled to that job. The number of 

weeks unemployed is accumulated over the entire year.
5

Family. A family is defi ned 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 consists of the reference person 

(householder) and all people living in the household who are 

related to the reference person. Families are classifi ed 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 nonrelated family household, or live in group quarters with other unrelated individuals.

Related children. Related children are children (including sons, 

daughters, and step- or adopted children) of the husband, wife, or 

person maintaining the family, as well as other children related to 

the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption.

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 or Alaska Native and 

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacifi c 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 suffi cient quality for 

publication. In the enumeration process, race is determined by the 

household respondent.

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is assigned to persons who identifi ed themselves in the CPS enumeration process as being Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino. People whose 

ethnicity is identifi ed as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.
6

Table 1. People in the labor force: poverty status and work experience by weeks in the labor force, 2008

(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 ................................................................................ 160,652 147,838 135,015

 Did not work during the year ............................................................... 3,187 1,647 1,403

 Worked during the year ...................................................................... 157,465 146,191 133,611

 Usual full-time workers ..................................................................... 125,113 120,635 113,484

 Usual part-time workers .................................................................... 32,352 25,556 20,127

 Involuntary part-time workers ......................................................... 8,478 7,325 6,204

 Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................ 23,875 18,231 13,923

At or above poverty level

Total in labor force ................................................................................ 149,416 138,955 127,526

...............................................................raey eht gnirud krow ton diD 400,2 549 818

 Worked during the year ...................................................................... 147,412 138,011 126,708

 Usual full-time workers ..................................................................... 119,582 115,949 109,360

 Usual part-time workers .................................................................... 27,830 22,062 17,348

 Involuntary part-time workers ......................................................... 6,372 5,535 4,692

 Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................ 21,457 16,527 12,656

Below poverty level

Total in labor force ................................................................................ 11,236 8,883 7,489

...............................................................raey eht gnirud krow ton diD 381,1 207 685

 Worked during the year ...................................................................... 10,053 8,180 6,903

 Usual full-time workers ..................................................................... 5,531 4,687 4,124

 Usual part-time workers .................................................................... 4,523 3,494 2,779

 Involuntary part-time workers ......................................................... 2,105 1,790 1,512

 Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................ 2,417 1,704 1,267

Rate 1

................................................................................ecrof robal ni latoT 0.7 0.6 5.5

...............................................................raey eht gnirud krow ton diD 1.73 6.24 7.14

......................................................................raey eht gnirud dekroW 4.6 6.5 2.5

sU .....................................................................srekrow emit-lluf lau 4.4 9.3 6.3

....................................................................srekrow emit-trap lausU 0.41 7.31 8.31

.........................................................srekrow emit-trap yratnulovnI 8.42 4.42 4.42

............................................................srekrow emit-trap yratnuloV 1.01 3.9 1.9

1 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force.
7

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

ethnicity, 2008

(Numbers in thousands)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Age and sex

Rate 1

Total White

Black or

African

American

Asian

Hispanic or

Latino

ethnicity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

65 years and older ................................ 2.5 2.4 4.3 0.2 3.2

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 above race groups (white, black or African

American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not

presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as

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

zero.
8

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

ethnicity, and sex, 2008

(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 ......................... 147,838 79,280 68,558 8,883 4,418 4,464 6.0 5.6 6.5

Less than a high school diploma ................ 15,097 9,580 5,517 2,769 1,628 1,141 18.3 17.0 20.7

 Less than 1 year of high school ............... 4,733 3,210 1,522 942 633 309 19.9 19.7 20.3

 1-3 years of high school .......................... 8,616 5,282 3,334 1,554 832 722 18.0 15.7 21.7

 4 years of high school, no diploma .......... 1,749 1,087 661 273 164 109 15.6 15.1 16.5

High school graduates, no college 2 ........... 43,085 24,404 18,681 3,113 1,508 1,605 7.2 6.2 8.6

Some college or associate degree ............. 43,132 21,272 21,860 2,201 907 1,294 5.1 4.3 5.9

 Some college, no degree ......................... 28,650 14,677 13,974 1,696 736 960 5.9 5.0 6.9

 Associate degree ..................................... 14,482 6,596 7,886 505 171 334 3.5 2.6 4.2

Bachelor’s degree and higher 3 .................. 46,524 24,024 22,500 800 375 425 1.7 1.6 1.9

 White, 16 years and older ........................ 120,660 65,908 54,752 6,321 3,331 2,990 5.2 5.1 5.5

Less than a high school diploma ................ 12,319 8,117 4,202 2,076 1,309 767 16.9 16.1 18.2

 Less than 1 year of high school ............... 4,110 2,877 1,233 804 556 247 19.6 19.3 20.0

 1-3 years of high school .......................... 6,913 4,399 2,513 1,109 650 459 16.0 14.8 18.3

 4 years of high school, no diploma .......... 1,297 842 456 163 103 60 12.6 12.2 13.3

High school graduates, no college 2 ........... 35,023 20,162 14,861 2,178 1,110 1,068 6.2 5.5 7.2

Some college or associate degree ............. 34,913 17,544 17,369 1,491 661 830 4.3 3.8 4.8

 Some college, no degree ......................... 22,928 12,019 10,909 1,152 538 614 5.0 4.5 5.6

 Associate degree ..................................... 11,985 5,525 6,460 339 123 217 2.8 2.2 3.4

Bachelor’s degree and higher 3 .................. 38,404 20,084 18,320 576 251 325 1.5 1.2 1.8

 Black or African American, 16 years and

older ..................................................... 16,817 7,817 9,000 1,844 698 1,146 11.0 8.9 12.7

Less than a high school diploma ................ 1,715 849 866 474 193 282 27.7 22.7 32.5

 Less than 1 year of high school ............... 229 116 113 67 33 34 29.1 28.2 29.9

 1-3 years of high school .......................... 1,174 566 608 324 115 209 27.6 20.3 34.4

 4 years of high school, no diploma .......... 312 166 146 84 45 39 26.8 26.9 26.5

High school graduates, no college 2 ........... 5,888 3,083 2,804 735 284 451 12.5 9.2 16.1

Some college or associate degree ............. 5,619 2,362 3,257 539 175 365 9.6 7.4 11.2

 Some college, no degree ......................... 3,990 1,734 2,256 413 144 269 10.3 8.3 11.9

 Associate degree ..................................... 1,629 628 1,001 127 31 96 7.8 4.9 9.5

Bachelor’s degree and higher 3 .................. 3,595 1,523 2,072 95 47 48 2.6 3.1 2.3

 Asian, 16 years and older ........................ 6,772 3,621 3,151 349 195 154 5.1 5.4 4.9

Less than a high school diploma ................ 520 274 245 84 48 36 16.2 17.5 14.9

 Less than 1 year of high school ............... 230 106 124 39 23 16 16.9 21.7 12.8

 1-3 years of high school .......................... 211 125 86 33 17 16 15.7 13.6 18.6

 4 years of high school, no diploma .......... 79 43 35 13 8 5 4 ( ) 4 ( ) 4 ( )

High school graduates, no college 2 ........... 1,156 576 580 85 50 34 7.3 8.7 5.9

Some college or associate degree ............. 1,334 704 631 73 28 45 5.5 4.0 7.1

 Some college, no degree ......................... 844 463 382 60 24 36 7.1 5.1 9.4

 Associate degree ..................................... 490 241 249 13 4 9 2.7 1.8 3.6

Bachelor’s degree and higher 3 .................. 3,762 2,067 1,695 107 68 38 2.8 3.3 2.3

 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 16 years and

older ...................................................... 21,005 12,593 8,412 2,604 1,585 1,020 12.4 12.6 12.1

Less than a high school diploma ................ 6,764 4,673 2,091 1,438 953 484 21.3 20.4 23.2

 Less than 1 year of high school ............... 3,474 2,447 1,027 730 504 226 21.0 20.6 22.0

 1-3 years of high school .......................... 2,731 1,820 912 615 377 238 22.5 20.7 26.1

 4 years of high school, no diploma .......... 559 406 153 93 73 21 16.7 17.9 13.5

High school graduates, no college 2 ........... 6,502 3,939 2,563 712 418 294 10.9 10.6 11.5

Some college or associate degree ............. 4,844 2,496 2,348 362 175 187 7.5 7.0 8.0

 Some college, no degree ......................... 3,466 1,843 1,623 266 137 128 7.7 7.5 7.9

 Associate degree ..................................... 1,379 653 725 96 37 59 7.0 5.7 8.1

Bachelor’s degree and higher 3 .................. 2,894 1,485 1,410 93 39 54 3.2 2.6 3.8

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 above race groups (white, black or African

American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented

for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may

be of any race.
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, 2008

(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 .......................................... 146,198 78,307 67,891 8,180 3,985 4,196 5.6 5.1 6.2

 Management, professional, and related occupations .... 52,716 25,592 27,124 1,036 424 612 2.0 1.7 2.3

 Management, business, and financial operations

occupations .............................................................. 22,235 12,654 9,581 407 230 177 1.8 1.8 1.9

 Professional and related occupations .......................... 30,481 12,939 17,543 628 194 434 2.1 1.5 2.5

 Service occupations ...................................................... 24,480 10,405 14,075 2,964 1,045 1,919 12.1 10.0 13.6

 Sales and office occupations ......................................... 35,020 12,987 22,033 1,828 604 1,224 5.2 4.7 5.6

 Sales and related occupations .................................... 16,019 8,251 7,768 1,096 377 719 6.8 4.6 9.3

 Office and administrative support occupations ............ 19,001 4,736 14,265 732 228 504 3.9 4.8 3.5

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations .............................................................. 15,460 14,855 606 1,154 1,105 49 7.5 7.4 8.0

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .................. 1,056 848 209 142 111 31 13.5 13.1 14.7

 Construction and extraction occupations ..................... 9,010 8,812 198 809 794 15 9.0 9.0 7.4

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...... 5,394 5,195 199 203 200 3 3.8 3.8 1.6

 Production, transportation, and material-moving

occupations .............................................................. 18,406 14,381 4,025 1,194 806 388 6.5 5.6 9.6

 Production occupations ............................................... 9,042 6,436 2,606 518 291 227 5.7 4.5 8.7

 Transportation and material-moving occupations ........ 9,364 7,945 1,419 676 515 160 7.2 6.5 11.3

 White, 16 years and older2 ......................................... 119,535 65,250 54,285 5,876 3,050 2,826 4.9 4.7 5.2

 Management, professional, and related occupations .... 43,813 21,674 22,138 749 336 413 1.7 1.6 1.9

 Management, business, and financial operations

occupations .............................................................. 19,091 11,177 7,914 330 194 136 1.7 1.7 1.7

 Professional and related occupations .......................... 24,722 10,498 14,225 419 142 277 1.7 1.4 1.9

 Service occupations ...................................................... 18,638 8,058 10,580 2,070 759 1,310 11.1 9.4 12.4

 Sales and office occupations ......................................... 28,769 10,706 18,063 1,240 427 814 4.3 4.0 4.5

 Sales and related occupations .................................... 13,387 7,037 6,350 758 272 486 5.7 3.9 7.6

 Office and administrative support occupations ............ 15,382 3,670 11,712 482 154 328 3.1 4.2 2.8

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations .............................................................. 13,683 13,195 488 991 951 40 7.2 7.2 8.2

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .................. 950 772 177 126 101 25 13.2 13.0 14.0

 Construction and extraction occupations ..................... 8,060 7,895 165 696 682 13 8.6 8.6 8.2

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...... 4,674 4,528 146 170 169 2 3.6 3.7 1.1

 Production, transportation, and material-moving

occupations .............................................................. 14,534 11,545 2,990 820 576 245 5.6 5.0 8.2

 Production occupations ............................................... 7,323 5,356 1,967 352 209 143 4.8 3.9 7.3

 Transportation and material-moving occupations ........ 7,212 6,188 1,023 469 367 102 6.5 5.9 9.9

 Black or African American, 16 years and older2 ......... 16,429 7,583 8,846 1,645 581 1,064 10.0 7.7 12.0

 Management, professional, and related occupations .... 4,565 1,682 2,883 181 43 138 4.0 2.5 4.8

 Management, business, and financial operations

occupations .............................................................. 1,623 678 945 41 17 24 2.5 2.5 2.5

 Professional and related occupations .......................... 2,943 1,005 1,938 140 26 115 4.8 2.6 5.9

 Service occupations ...................................................... 4,002 1,541 2,461 650 173 477 16.2 11.2 19.4

 Sales and office occupations ......................................... 4,041 1,352 2,689 444 112 332 11.0 8.3 12.3

 Sales and related occupations .................................... 1,594 654 940 253 64 189 15.9 9.8 20.1

 Office and administrative support occupations ............ 2,447 698 1,749 191 48 142 7.8 6.9 8.1

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations .............................................................. 1,060 981 79 108 104 4 10.2 10.6 3 ( )

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .................. 47 37 10 9 6 2 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 3 ( )

 Construction and extraction occupations ..................... 550 525 25 73 73 – 13.3 13.9 3 ( )

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...... 463 419 44 26 25 2 5.6 5.9 3 ( )

 Production, transportation, and material-moving

occupations .............................................................. 2,748 2,017 732 262 149 113 9.5 7.4 15.4

 Production occupations ............................................... 1,129 710 419 109 46 63 9.6 6.4 15.1

 Transportation and material-moving occupations ........ 1,619 1,306 313 153 103 50 9.4 7.9 16.0

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, 2008 — 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 ......................................... 6,702 3,581 3,121 322 181 141 4.8 5.1 4.5

 Management, professional, and related occupations .... 3,305 1,751 1,554 81 37 44 2.5 2.1 2.9

 Management, business, and financial operations

occupations .............................................................. 1,107 595 512 30 16 13 2.7 2.8 2.6

 Professional and related occupations .......................... 2,198 1,156 1,041 51 20 31 2.3 1.7 3.0

 Service occupations ...................................................... 1,069 463 606 112 58 54 10.5 12.6 8.9

 Sales and office occupations ......................................... 1,354 622 732 59 33 26 4.4 5.3 3.5

 Sales and related occupations .................................... 696 405 291 39 21 18 5.6 5.2 6.2

 Office and administrative support occupations ............ 658 217 441 20 12 8 3.0 5.5 1.8

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations .............................................................. 328 304 24 14 14 – 4.1 4.5 3 ( )

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .................. 26 13 13 – – – 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 3 ( )

 Construction and extraction occupations ..................... 138 134 5 11 11 – 8.2 8.5 3 ( )

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...... 163 157 6 2 2 – 1.3 1.4 3 ( )

 Production, transportation, and material-moving

occupations .............................................................. 644 439 205 56 39 17 8.7 8.9 8.3

 Production occupations ............................................... 370 210 160 32 18 14 8.7 8.8 8.5

 Transportation and material-moving occupations ........ 274 229 45 24 21 3 8.8 9.0 3 ( )

 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 16 years and older2 ....... 20,762 12,440 8,322 2,474 1,499 975 11.9 12.1 11.7

 Management, professional, and related occupations .... 3,741 1,740 2,001 147 66 82 3.9 3.8 4.1

 Management, business, and financial operations

occupations .............................................................. 1,595 879 716 53 31 23 3.4 3.5 3.2

 Professional and related occupations .......................... 2,146 861 1,285 94 35 59 4.4 4.0 4.6

 Service occupations ...................................................... 5,071 2,476 2,596 932 425 507 18.4 17.2 19.5

 Sales and office occupations ......................................... 4,339 1,701 2,638 373 143 230 8.6 8.4 8.7

 Sales and related occupations .................................... 1,929 930 999 226 77 149 11.7 8.3 14.9

 Office and administrative support occupations ............ 2,410 772 1,638 147 65 81 6.1 8.5 5.0

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations .............................................................. 3,870 3,709 160 611 580 31 15.8 15.6 19.0

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .................. 486 386 100 109 83 26 22.5 21.6 26.0

 Construction and extraction occupations ..................... 2,600 2,570 30 422 419 3 16.2 16.3 3 ( )

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...... 784 753 31 79 78 2 10.1 10.3 3 ( )

 Production, transportation, and material-moving

occupations .............................................................. 3,735 2,810 925 410 286 124 11.0 10.2 13.4

 Production occupations ............................................... 1,924 1,290 634 197 116 80 10.2 9.0 12.6

 Transportation and material-moving occupations ........ 1,810 1,520 291 213 170 44 11.8 11.2 15.0

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
11

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, 2008

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic Total families At or above

poverty level

Below poverty

level Rate 1

 Total primary families ................................................ 65,907 61,369 4,538 6.9

With related children under 18 years ................................ 35,700 31,928 3,772 10.6

Without children ................................................................ 30,207 29,441 765 2.5

With one member in the labor force .................................. 27,612 23,850 3,762 13.6

With two or more members in the labor force ................... 38,295 37,519 776 2.0

 With two members .......................................................... 32,115 31,433 682 2.1

 With three or more members .......................................... 6,180 6,086 94 1.5

 Married-couple families ............................................. 49,906 47,915 1,992 4.0

With related children under 18 years ................................ 25,646 24,060 1,586 6.2

Without children ................................................................ 24,261 23,855 406 1.7

With one member in the labor force .................................. 16,659 15,186 1,473 8.8

 Husband .......................................................................... 11,959 10,812 1,147 9.6

 Wife ................................................................................. 4,004 3,734 269 6.7

 Relative ........................................................................... 696 639 56 8.1

With two or more members in the labor force ................... 33,247 32,729 519 1.6

 With two members .......................................................... 28,145 27,683 462 1.6

 With three or more members .......................................... 5,102 5,046 56 1.1

 Families maintained by women ................................. 11,419 9,281 2,138 18.7

With related children under 18 years ................................ 7,661 5,764 1,897 24.8

Without children ................................................................ 3,759 3,518 241 6.4

With one member in the labor force .................................. 8,213 6,267 1,946 23.7

 Householder .................................................................... 6,774 5,082 1,692 25.0

 Relative ........................................................................... 1,439 1,185 255 17.7

With two or more members in the labor force ................... 3,206 3,014 192 6.0

 Families maintained by men ..................................... 4,581 4,173 408 8.9

With related children under 18 years ................................ 2,394 2,105 289 12.1

Without children ................................................................ 2,187 2,069 119 5.4

With one member in the labor force .................................. 2,740 2,398 343 12.5

 Householder .................................................................... 2,284 1,994 291 12.7

 Relative ........................................................................... 456 404 52 11.4

With two or more members in the labor force ................... 1,841 1,776 65 3.5

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.
12

Table 6. People in families and unrelated individuals: poverty status and work experience, 2008

(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 people1 .................................. 235,079 58,404 59,088 5,823 19,522 14,457 2,245 12,073 5,236 591 5,644 51,994

With labor force activity .................. 160,652 45,889 38,512 1,729 12,969 10,383 508 7,516 4,157 136 3,883 34,969

 1 to 26 weeks ............................... 12,814 1,406 2,965 1,009 2,626 704 296 999 211 85 330 2,184

 27 weeks or more ......................... 147,838 44,483 35,546 720 10,343 9,679 213 6,516 3,947 52 3,553 32,785

With no labor force activity ............. 74,427 12,515 20,577 4,095 6,552 4,074 1,737 4,557 1,078 455 1,761 17,025

At or above poverty level

 All people1 .................................. 207,945 55,189 55,827 5,366 18,495 10,307 1,554 10,015 4,516 489 5,091 41,097

With labor force activity .................. 149,416 44,103 37,579 1,666 12,575 8,126 402 6,733 3,764 119 3,663 30,685

 1 to 26 weeks ............................... 10,461 1,261 2,725 965 2,497 299 227 813 153 71 275 1,175

 27 weeks or more ......................... 138,955 42,842 34,854 701 10,078 7,828 175 5,921 3,611 48 3,388 29,511

With no labor force activity ............. 58,529 11,086 18,248 3,700 5,920 2,180 1,152 3,282 752 370 1,427 10,412

Below poverty level

 All people1 .................................. 27,134 3,216 3,261 457 1,027 4,151 691 2,058 720 102 553 10,897

With labor force activity .................. 11,236 1,787 933 63 394 2,257 106 783 394 17 219 4,284

 1 to 26 weeks ............................... 2,353 145 241 43 129 406 68 187 57 13 55 1,009

 27 weeks or more ......................... 8,883 1,641 692 20 265 1,851 38 596 336 – 165 3,275

With no labor force activity ............. 15,898 1,429 2,329 394 632 1,894 585 1,276 326 85 334 6,613

Rate 2

 All people1 .................................. 11.5 5.5 5.5 7.9 5.3 28.7 30.8 17.0 13.7 17.3 9.8 21.0

With labor force activity .................. 7.0 3.9 2.4 3.6 3.0 21.7 20.8 10.4 9.5 12.4 5.7 12.3

 1 to 26 weeks ............................... 18.4 10.3 8.1 4.3 4.9 57.6 23.0 18.7 27.2 15.9 16.6 46.2

 27 weeks or more ......................... 6.0 3.7 1.9 2.7 2.6 19.1 17.8 9.1 8.5 3 ( ) 4.6 10.0

With no labor force activity ............. 21.4 11.4 11.3 9.6 9.7 46.5 33.7 28.0 30.3 18.7 19.0 38.8

1 Data on families include people 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: Dash represents or rounds to zero.
13

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, 2008

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic Total At or above

poverty level

Below poverty

level Rate 1

Age and sex

Total unrelated individuals ............................................................................ 32,785 29,511 3,275 10.0

16 to 19 years ................................................................................................... 504 265 239 47.5

20 to 24 years ................................................................................................... 4,140 3,380 760 18.4

25 to 64 years ................................................................................................... 26,350 24,143 2,207 8.4

65 years and older ............................................................................................ 1,790 1,723 68 3.8

Men ................................................................................................................... 18,224 16,429 1,795 9.8

Women ............................................................................................................. 14,561 13,081 1,480 10.2

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

White ............................................................................................................... 26,564 24,027 2,537 9.6

 Men ................................................................................................................ 14,884 13,518 1,366 9.2

 Women .......................................................................................................... 11,680 10,509 1,171 10.0

Black or African American ............................................................................... 4,266 3,748 517 12.1

 Men ................................................................................................................ 2,260 1,952 308 13.6

 Women .......................................................................................................... 2,006 1,796 209 10.4

Asian ................................................................................................................ 1,048 956 92 8.8

 Men ................................................................................................................ 572 528 44 7.6

 Women .......................................................................................................... 476 428 48 10.1

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ............................................................................... 4,012 3,363 649 16.2

 Men ................................................................................................................ 2,725 2,307 419 15.4

 Women .......................................................................................................... 1,287 1,056 231 17.9

Living arrangement

Living alone ...................................................................................................... 17,472 16,302 1,170 6.7

Living with others .............................................................................................. 15,313 13,208 2,105 13.7

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

labor force for 27 weeks or more.

 NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or

African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are

not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as

Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.
14

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, 2008

(Numbers in thousands)

Labor market problems Total At or above

poverty level

Below poverty

level Rate 1

 Total, full-time wage and salary workers ..................................................... 114,029 109,980 4,050 3.6

No unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, or low earnings 2 ........ 90,912 90,336 576 .6

Unemployment only .......................................................................................... 7,788 7,334 454 5.8

Involuntary part-time employment only ............................................................. 2,975 2,900 75 2.5

Low earnings only ............................................................................................. 7,488 5,880 1,607 21.5

Unemployment and involuntary part-time employment .................................... 1,594 1,472 122 7.7

Unemployment and low earnings ..................................................................... 1,786 1,107 679 38.0

Involuntary part-time employment and low earnings ........................................ 906 641 265 29.3

Unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, and low earnings ............. 580 309 271 46.7

Unemployment (alone or with other problems) ................................................. 11,749 10,223 1,526 13.0

Involuntary part-time employment (alone or with other problems) ................... 6,056 5,322 734 12.1

Low earnings (alone or with other problems) ................................................... 10,760 7,937 2,823 26.2

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 2008 was $316.89 per week.