One third reported earnings in less than six of the eight quarters. The economy is a gigantic, unpredictable variable when you try to pinpoint the forces that affect poverty, Weber points out, and he wonders what will happen to low-income Oregonians, including those recently off welfare, when the state runs into its next significant economic downturn. Our youngest and oldest residents are poorest. Women and female-headed households have much higher rates of poverty at all ages. Minorities experience much higher levels, and rural Oregonians are more likely to be poor than urban dwellers.
Education levels are strongly related to income.
The more education the better. Despite growth in the economy and the low unemployment rate, the percentage of families with young children who are poor or near poor has increased in the past 20 years. In fact, income inequality has increased dramatically. We have an increasing number of families that are economically vulnerable and a shrinking middle class.