Recent trends in resource sharing among the poor
By: Steven J. Haider, Kathleen McGarry.
Contributors: McGarry, Kathleen; National Bureau of Economic Research.
Series: NBER working paper series ;; working paper 11612; Working paper series (National Bureau of Economic Research : Online) ;; working paper no. 11612.
Publisher: National Bureau of Economic Research
Published: 2005
Place of publication: Cambridge, MA
Language: eng
Format: Electronic resource
Subjects: Poor -- United States; Gifts -- Economic aspects -- United States; Family -- Economic aspects -- United States; Helping behavior -- Economic aspects -- United States
Description: "Motivated in part by the dramatic changes in the United States economy and public assistance policies, many researchers have examined the changes in the resources of the low-income population over the last two decades, with particular attention paid to income from earnings and public assistance programs.  One source of income that has received comparatively little attention is income from private transfers.  However, private transfers may be a key source of support for low-income individuals, especially for those who have had little attachment to the labor force or who have experienced reductions in public assistance.  In this paper, we provide a conceptual discussion of private transfers drawing on several related literatures and provide new empirical evidence regarding the significance of private of transfers as a source income.  We find that private transfers are an important source of income for many less-skilled households, the contribution of private transfers to total income has increased over time, and shared living arrangements are a common mechanism for providing assistance"--National Bureau of Economic Research web site.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
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Mode of access: World Wide Web.