A Profile of the Working
Poor, 2001
U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
June 2003
Report 968
I
n 2001, 32.9 million people, or 11.7 percent of the population,
lived at or below the official poverty level. This was an increase of 1.3 million from 2000. Most of the poor were children, or adults who had not participated in the labor force
during the year. However, about 6.8 million were in the labor
force for 27 weeks or more during the year. These persons
were classified as the working poor, and represented 4.9 percent of all persons who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or
more. The ranks of the working poor increased by 319,000 (0.2
percentage point) from the previous year. (See tables A and 1.)
This report presents data on the relationships between
labor force activity and poverty in 2001 for workers and their
families. As defined for this report, the working poor are individuals who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force (working or looking for work), but whose incomes fell below the
official poverty level. The specific income thresholds that are
used to determine persons’ poverty status depend on whether
the individuals are family members or live alone or with nonrelatives. For family members, the poverty threshold is determined by their families’ total income; for persons not living
in families, their personal income is used as the determinant.
The data were collected in the 2002 Annual Social and
Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey
(CPS). The data on the working poor presented in this report
reflect two major changes—the use of an expanded supplement sample and the introduction of Census 2000-based population controls to the CPS. Beginning in 2001 (with the collection of data for 2000), the Annual Social and Economic
Supplement has been administered to parts of the CPS samples
for February and April as well as to the entire sample for March.
Previously, the supplement was administered to the March
sample only. As a result, the sample size of the supplement
has expanded to 78,000 households from its original 50,000
households.
Although the supplement was expanded in 2001, the data
on the working poor in 2000, published in BLS Report 957 in
March 2002, still were based solely on the 50,000 households
for March; the additional 28,000 households were not used
because their effect on the CPS estimates had not been fully
assessed. In order to facilitate historical comparisons, this
report includes data for 2000 that were revised to reflect both
the expanded sample and the new population controls.
Abraham Mosisa, an economist in the Division of Labor Force Statistics,
Bureau of Labor Statistics, prepared this report.
1
Because they are based on the expanded sample and new
Census 2000 population controls, the data for 2000 and 2001
presented in this report are not directly comparable with previously published data for earlier years. For a more detailed
description of the data and an explanation of the concepts
and definitions used in this report, see the Technical Note.
Some notable findings from the 2001 data include:
• The rise in the percent of persons in the labor force for
27 weeks or more who were classified as working poor in 2001
was the first year-to-year increase since 1992-93 and reflected
the impact of the recession that began in March 2001. Despite the increase, however, the proportion remained well
below the series high of 6.7 percent in 1993.
• Working full time substantially lowers a person’s probability of being poor. Among persons in the labor force for 27
weeks or more in 2001, 3.6 percent of those usually employed
full time were classified as working poor, compared with 10.5
percent for those who were part-time workers.
• The proportion of the working poor who had searched
for a job for at least 6 months in 2001 without success was 5.6
percent. Not surprisingly, this was up from 4.7 percent in the
previous year.
Demographic characteristics
In 2001, the proportion of those who were in the labor force
for 27 weeks or more who were classified as working poor
Table A. Poverty status of persons and primary families in the
labor force for 27 weeks or more, 1999-2001
(Numbers in thousands)
Characteristic
3
1999
Total persons ............ 133,651
6,796
In poverty ...............
5.1
Rate .......................
Unrelated individuals .. 27,845
In poverty ................ 2,272
8.2
Rate ........................
Primary families4.......... 60,454
In poverty ................ 3,755
6.2
Rate ........................
1
2
1
2
2000
2000
135,626
6,351
4.7
29,041
2,198
7.6
60,870
3,417
5.6
137,398
6,483
4.7
29,258
2,238
7.6
61,879
3,492
5.6
2001
138,143
6,802
4.9
29,387
2,388
8.1
62,251
3,697
5.9
Estimates based on 1990 census population controls.
Estimates based on Census 2000 population controls and an
expanded sample. See Technical Note for details.
3 Includes persons in families, not shown separately.
4 Primary families with at least one member in the labor force for
more than half of the year.
continued to be higher for women than for men—5.5 versus
4.4 percent—even though the proportion of working men
living in poverty edged up by 0.3 percentage point over the
year, while that for women was unchanged. The rates for
both groups remain well below their decade-high levels in
1993 of 7.3 percent for women and 6.2 percent for men. (See
table 2.)
Young workers are more vulnerable to poverty than are
those in other age groups, partly because their earnings are
lower and they are more likely to be unemployed than are
older workers. Among the youths who were in the labor force
for 27 weeks or more in 2001, 10.4 percent of 16- to 19-year
olds and 9.9 percent of 20- to 24-year olds were in poverty.
These rates were more than double the rate for workers aged
35 to 44 (4.3 percent), and more than triple the rate for workers
45 to 54 years of age (2.9 percent). (See table 2.)
Minority teenage workers, in particular, are more likely to
be in poverty. Among teenagers who were in the labor force
for 27 weeks or more, 23.3 percent of blacks and 14.3 percent
of Hispanics were in poverty, compared with 8.8 percent of
whites. Overall, Hispanic and black workers were disproportionately represented among the working poor, as they continued to experience poverty at rates that were more than
twice that of whites (10.1 and 9.6 percent versus 4.3 percent,
respectively).
Educational attainment
The incidence of living in poverty greatly diminishes as workers achieve higher levels of education. In 2001, only 1.5
percent of college graduates were counted among the working poor, compared with 5.8 percent of high school graduates
(no college), and 13.1 percent of high school dropouts. At all
major educational attainment levels except college graduates,
women were more likely than men to be among the working
poor. At all major educational attainment levels, blacks were
more likely to be among the working poor than were whites.
(See table 3.)
Occupation
The likelihood of being among the working poor varies widely
by occupation. During 2001, farm workers and service employees were more likely to be classified as working poor
than were workers in other occupations. The 2.0 million
working poor in service occupations, in fact, accounted
for 31.3 percent of all those classified as the working poor.
Within the category of service workers, 20.4 percent of
private household workers (that is, housekeepers, childcare
workers, and cooks) were among the working poor. The
proportion of service workers other than those in private
households or protective services (occupations such as bartenders, waiters and waitresses, dental assistants, janitors,
hairdressers, and others) classified as working poor was 11.6
percent. Persons employed in managerial and professional
specialty occupations were least likely to be classified as
working poor (1.4 percent). (See table 4.)
2
Family structure
Nearly 3.7 million families with at least one member in the
labor force for 27 weeks or more (5.9 percent of all such families) lived below the poverty level in 2001. This was up from
5.6 percent in the previous year. Married-couple families with
one member in the labor force for 27 weeks or more had a
lower incidence of poverty than did either families maintained
by women or families maintained by men (no spouse present).
This was true regardless of which member of the marriedcouple family was in the labor force. (See table 6.)
Working wives are less likely than working husbands to be
poor, primarily because working wives are more likely to be in
families with a second earner, usually a husband. In 2001, 1.7
percent of married women who were in the labor force for 27
weeks or more were in poverty, compared with 3.1 percent of
married men. In comparison, 17 percent of women who maintained families and who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or
more were in poverty. (See table 5.)
The poverty threshold for families reflects both the total
family income and the number of family members. The more
workers a family has, the higher its income is likely to be and,
therefore, the less likely the family is to be living below the
poverty line. For example, only 0.8 percent of families with
three or more members in the labor force for 27 weeks or more
and 1.7 percent of families with two such labor force participants were among the working poor in 2001. In contrast, 12.2
percent of families with only one member in the labor force for
27 weeks or more were in poverty. (See table 6.)
The larger the family, however, the higher the level of income needed to keep the family out of poverty. In addition,
the presence of children can reduce the ability of one or both
of the parents to participate fully in the labor force. Thus,
working families with children, regardless of type of family,
had higher poverty rates than families without children. The
difference was greatest among families maintained by
women. Among these families, 21.3 percent of those with children were poor in 2001, compared with 5.2 percent of those
without children.
Unrelated individuals
Unrelated individuals are persons who live either alone or
with nonrelatives. Of the 29.4 million unrelated individuals
who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more in 2001, 8.1
percent lived below the poverty level. This was up from 7.6
percent in 2000. Teenagers who were in the labor force for 27
weeks or more and were living on their own or with others not
related to them were more vulnerable to being poor. In 2001,
39.5 percent of such teenagers lived below the poverty level,
up from 36.7 percent in 2000. It should be noted that the poverty status of unrelated individuals, unlike that of family members, is determined by their personal incomes.
The living situations of unrelated individuals are characterized in one of two ways: Some live by themselves, while
others share housing with unrelated persons. Of those who
were labor force participants for more than 6 months in 2001,
persons living with unrelated individuals were more than twice
There are three major labor market problems that can impede a worker’s ability to earn an income above the poverty
threshold: Low earnings, periods of unemployment, and involuntary part-time employment. (See Technical Note for
definitions.)
In 2001, about 83 percent of the working poor who usually
worked full time experienced at least one of these major labor
market problems. Low earnings continued to be the most
common problem encountered, with 68.2 percent facing low
earnings, either alone or in conjunction with other labor
market problems. About 32.7 percent of the working poor experienced unemployment, either alone or in conjunction with
other problems. Only 5.3 percent experienced all three problems—low earnings, unemployment, and involuntary part-time
employment.
Some 593,000, or 17 percent, of the working poor did not
experience any of the three primary labor market problems in
2001. 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.
as likely as those living alone to be poor (11.4 percent and 5.3
percent, respectively). The proportion living in poverty increased for both of these groups over the year. Unrelated
individuals with low incomes often live with others in order to
share expenses and pool resources. Because their poverty
status is not determined by household income, the poverty
measure for these unrelated individuals may overstate their
actual economic hardship. Conversely, many of those who
live alone do so because they have sufficient incomes to
support themselves. (See table 7.)
Labor market problems
As noted earlier, people who usually work full time are far less
likely to live in poverty than are others. Yet, there remains a
sizable group of full-time workers who live below the poverty
threshold. Among those who participated in the labor force
for more than half of the year and who usually worked in fulltime wage and salary jobs, 3.5 million, or 3.2 percent, were
classified as working poor in 2001. This proportion was virtually unchanged from a year earlier, after trending downward
from 1994 to 2000. (See table 8.)
3
Technical Note
estimates of children’s health insurance coverage by State.
The additional sample, however, was not used at that time to
produce calendar-year 2000 estimates of the working poor
because the effects of the additional sample on the data had
not been fully assessed.
The second change was the use of Census 2000-based
population controls in the estimation process for data on the
working poor for both calendar years 2000 and 2001. Sample
results from the CPS are weighted up to independent estimates of the population by sex, age, race, and Hispanic/nonHispanic origin. The weights, or population controls, are developed using counts of the civilian noninstitutional population derived from the most recent decennial census and are
updated using information from administrative records.
Previously published estimates of the working poor for 2000
were based on population controls from the 1990 census.
Source of data
The primary source of data in this report is the 2002 Annual
Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population
Survey (CPS). The CPS is a monthly survey of 60,000 households conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau
of Labor Statistics to collect demographic, social, and economic information about persons 16 years of age and older.
The Annual Social and Economic Supplement is asked of part
of the CPS samples for February and April and of the entire
sample for March, comprising a total of 78,000 households.
The work experience and income information collected in
the Annual Social and Economic Supplement refers to activity in the entire prior calendar year.
The estimates in this report are based on a sample and,
consequently, may differ from figures that would have been
obtained from a complete count using the same questionnaire and procedures. Sampling variability may be relatively
large in cases where the numbers are small. Thus, small
estimates, or small differences between estimates, should
be interpreted with caution. For a detailed explanation of the
Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the CPS, its
sampling variability, and more extensive definitions than
those provided below, see Poverty in the United States: 2001,
Current Population Reports, series P-60, no. 219 (U.S. Census
Bureau, September 2002). This publication also is available
on the Census Bureau Web site at http://www.census.gov/
hhes/www/poverty01.html.
Information in this report will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202)
691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339. This material is in the public domain and, with appropriate credit,
may be reproduced without permission.
For more information on the data provided in this report,
write to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Labor
Force Statistics, Room 4675, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE.,
Washington, DC 20212; e-mail: [email protected] or telephone:
(202) 691-6378.
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 U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
Economy Food Plan and reflected the different consumption
requirements of families, based on factors such as family size
and the number of children under 18 years of age.
The actual poverty thresholds vary in accordance with
the makeup of the family. In 2001, the average poverty
threshold for a family of four was $18,104; for a family of nine
or more persons, the threshold was $36,286; and for an unrelated individual aged 65 or older, it was $8,494. Poverty
thresholds are updated each year to reflect changes in the
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). The
thresholds do not vary geographically. For more information, see Poverty in the United States: 2001, cited above.
Low earnings. The low-earnings level, as first developed in
1987, represented the average of the real value of the minimum wage between 1967 and 1987 for a 40-hour workweek.
The base year of 1967 was chosen because that was the first
year in which minimum-wage legislation covered essentially
the same broad group of workers that currently is covered.
The low-earnings level has subsequently been adjusted each
year using the CPI-U, so that the measure maintains the same
real value that it held in 1987. In 2001, the low-earnings threshold was $260.66 per week. For a more complete definition, see
Bruce W. Klein and Philip L. Rones, “A profile of the working
poor,” Monthly Labor Review, October 1989, pp. 3-13.
Comparability of estimates
The estimates for calendar years 2000 and 2001 shown in this
report incorporate two major changes. As a consequence, the
estimates for 2000 shown here may differ from those previously published for the same period, and the data for both
2000 and 2001 contained in this report are not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier years.
First, the estimates shown here for both years are based on
a expanded sample of 78,000 households. Estimates of the
working poor that had been published previously for calendar year 2000 were based on data collected in March 2001
from a sample of 50,000 households. An additional 28,000
household were added in 2001, with data collected from parts
of the February and April CPS samples in order to improve
Income. Data on income are limited to money income received in the calendar year preceding the supplement, before
4
person (householder) and all of the persons living in the
household who are related to the reference person. Families
are classified either as married-couple families or as those
maintained by men or women without spouses present. Family status is determined at the time of the interview, and thus
may be different from that of the previous year.
personal income taxes and payroll deductions. They do not
include the value of noncash benefits such as Food Stamps,
Medicare, Medicaid, public housing, and employer-provided
benefits. For a complete definition of the income concept, see
Poverty in the United States: 2001, cited above.
In the labor force. Persons in the labor force are those who
worked or looked for work sometime during the calendar year
preceding the supplement. The number of weeks in the labor
force is accumulated over the entire year. The focus in this
report is on persons in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.
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.
Involuntary part-time workers. These are persons who, in at
least 1 week of the year, worked fewer than 35 hours
because of slack work or business conditions, or because
they could not find full-time work. The number of weeks of
involuntary part-time work is accumulated over the year.
Related children. Data on related children refer to own children (including sons, daughters, and step- or adopted children) of the husband, wife, or person maintaining the family
and all other children related to the householder by birth,
marriage, or adoption.
Occupation. Refers to the occupation in which a person
worked the most weeks during the calendar year.
Race. White, black, and “other” are terms used to describe
the race of workers. Included in the “other” group are American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Asians and Pacific Islanders. Because of their relatively small sample size, data for this
group are not separately tabulated or published.
Unemployed. Unemployed persons are those who looked for
work while not employed or those who were on layoff from a
job and expecting recall. The number of weeks unemployed is
accumulated over the entire year.
Hispanic origin. This term refers to persons who identify
themselves in the CPS enumeration process as Mexican,
Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or of some
other Hispanic origin or descent. Persons of Hispanic origin
may be of any race; thus, they also are included in both the
white and black population groups.
Family. A family is defined as a group of two or more persons residing together who are related by birth, marriage, or
adoption. The count of families used in this report includes
only primary familes. A primary family includes the reference
5
Table 1. Persons in the labor force: Poverty status and work experience by weeks in the labor force, 2001
(Numbers in thousands)
27 weeks or more in the labor force
Poverty status and work experience
Total in the labor force
Total
50 to 52 weeks
152,300
2,014
150,286
121,182
29,103
4,233
24,870
138,143
837
137,306
115,751
21,555
3,437
18,118
124,528
713
123,815
107,796
16,019
2,741
13,278
142,995
1,214
141,781
116,014
25,767
3,260
22,506
131,341
457
130,885
111,602
19,283
2,675
16,607
118,992
388
118,604
104,279
14,326
2,145
12,181
9,305
800
8,505
5,168
3,337
973
2,364
6,802
380
6,422
4,149
2,273
762
1,511
5,536
325
5,210
3,517
1,693
596
1,097
6.1
39.7
5.7
4.3
11.5
23.0
9.5
4.9
45.4
4.7
3.6
10.5
22.2
8.3
4.4
45.6
4.2
3.3
10.6
21.7
8.3
TOTAL
Total in labor force ................................................................................
Did not work during the year ...............................................................
Worked during the year ......................................................................
Usual full-time workers .....................................................................
Usual part-time workers ....................................................................
Involuntary part-time workers .........................................................
Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................
At or above poverty level
Total in labor force ................................................................................
Did not work during the year ...............................................................
Worked during the year ......................................................................
Usual full-time workers .....................................................................
Usual part-time workers ....................................................................
Involuntary part-time workers .........................................................
Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................
Below poverty level
Total in labor force ................................................................................
Did not work during the year ...............................................................
Worked during the year ......................................................................
Usual full-time workers .....................................................................
Usual part-time workers ....................................................................
Involuntary part-time workers .........................................................
Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................
Rate1
Total in labor force ................................................................................
Did not work during the year ...............................................................
Worked during the year ......................................................................
Usual full-time workers .....................................................................
Usual part-time workers ....................................................................
Involuntary part-time workers .........................................................
Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................
1 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor
force.
NOTE: Estimates are based on Census 2000 population controls and
an expanded sample and are not strictly comparable with estimates for
earlier years previously published. See the Technical Note for additional
information.
6
Table 2. Persons in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: Poverty status by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2001
(Numbers in thousands)
Rate1
Below poverty level
Age and sex
Total
White
Black
Total, 16 years and older .................. 138,143 114,874 15,657
16 to 19 years .......................................
4,848
4,136
519
20 to 24 years ....................................... 13,011 10,667
1,648
25 to 34 years ....................................... 31,307 25,314
3,966
35 to 44 years ....................................... 36,368 29,874
4,399
45 to 54 years ....................................... 32,128 27,034
3,363
55 to 64 years ....................................... 16,008 13,902
1,386
65 years and older ................................
4,473
3,948
377
Hispanic
origin
Total
White
Black
Hispanic
origin
Total
White
Black
Hispanic
origin
16,463
710
2,350
5,349
4,229
2,530
1,081
215
6,802
506
1,292
1,988
1,581
922
443
70
4,906
362
934
1,432
1,134
660
339
45
1,503
121
282
474
336
190
78
23
1,659
102
254
607
441
173
70
12
4.9
10.4
9.9
6.3
4.3
2.9
2.8
1.6
4.3
8.8
8.8
5.7
3.8
2.4
2.4
1.1
9.6
23.3
17.1
11.9
7.6
5.6
5.6
6.2
10.1
14.3
10.8
11.3
10.4
6.8
6.5
5.6
Men, 16 years and older ...................
16 to 19 years .......................................
20 to 24 years .......................................
25 to 34 years .......................................
35 to 44 years .......................................
45 to 54 years .......................................
55 to 64 years .......................................
65 years and older ................................
74,316
2,483
6,854
17,248
19,611
16,949
8,599
2,572
62,899
2,119
5,708
14,286
16,490
14,471
7,545
2,279
7,295
261
761
1,843
2,010
1,572
651
196
9,787
405
1,451
3,350
2,501
1,348
602
129
3,275
232
545
953
782
501
231
32
2,562
170
417
775
616
384
179
21
520
53
85
137
119
77
41
9
992
59
153
377
275
81
39
8
4.4
9.4
7.9
5.5
4.0
3.0
2.7
1.2
4.1
8.0
7.3
5.4
3.7
2.7
2.4
0.9
7.1
20.2
11.1
7.4
5.9
4.9
6.3
4.5
10.1
14.5
10.6
11.3
11.0
6.0
6.5
5.9
Women, 16 years and older .............
16 to 19 years .......................................
20 to 24 years .......................................
25 to 34 years .......................................
35 to 44 years .......................................
45 to 54 years .......................................
55 to 64 years .......................................
65 years and older ................................
63,827
2,365
6,157
14,059
16,757
15,179
7,409
1,900
51,976
2,017
4,958
11,028
13,384
12,562
6,357
1,669
8,363
258
886
2,122
2,389
1,790
736
181
6,677
305
898
1,999
1,728
1,182
479
85
3,526
274
747
1,035
799
421
212
38
2,344
192
517
657
518
276
160
24
983
68
197
337
216
112
37
14
667
43
101
230
166
91
31
4
5.5
11.6
12.1
7.4
4.8
2.8
2.9
2.0
4.5
9.5
10.4
6.0
3.9
2.2
2.5
1.4
11.8
26.5
22.3
15.9
9.1
6.3
5.0
7.9
10.0
14.0
11.3
11.5
9.6
7.7
6.5
5.2
1 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor
force for 27 weeks or more.
NOTE: Detail for race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals
because data for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics
are included in both the white and black population groups. Estimates are
based on Census 2000 population controls and an expanded sample and
are not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier years previously
published. See the Technical Note for additional information.
7
Table 3. Persons in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: Poverty status by educational attainment, race, and sex, 2001
(Numbers in thousands)
Rate1
Below poverty level
Educational attainment and race
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total, 16 years and older ............................
Less than a high school diploma ....................
Less than 1 year of high school ....................
1-3 years of high school ...............................
4 years of high school, no diploma ...............
High school graduates, no college .................
Some college, no degree ................................
Associate degree ............................................
College graduates ..........................................
138,143
16,776
5,053
9,861
1,861
42,802
27,032
12,220
39,313
74,316
10,370
3,375
5,820
1,175
23,053
13,774
5,820
21,299
63,827
6,406
1,679
4,041
686
19,749
13,258
6,400
18,014
6,802
2,194
785
1,246
164
2,500
1,185
322
600
3,275
1,206
518
611
77
1,126
492
114
337
3,526
988
267
634
87
1,374
693
208
264
4.9
13.1
15.5
12.6
8.8
5.8
4.4
2.6
1.5
4.4
11.6
15.4
10.5
6.5
4.9
3.6
2.0
1.6
5.5
15.4
15.9
15.7
12.6
7.0
5.2
3.2
1.5
White, 16 years and older .........................
Less than a high school diploma ....................
Less than 1 year of high school ....................
1-3 years of high school ...............................
4 years of high school, no diploma ...............
High school graduates, no college .................
Some college, no degree ................................
Associate degree ............................................
College graduates ..........................................
114,874
13,693
4,341
7,907
1,444
35,541
22,135
10,313
33,193
62,899
8,717
2,975
4,798
945
19,442
11,476
5,022
18,240
51,976
4,975
1,366
3,109
500
16,098
10,658
5,291
14,953
4,906
1,646
697
845
104
1,684
867
232
477
2,562
968
469
445
55
831
385
89
290
2,344
678
228
400
49
853
483
143
187
4.3
12.0
16.1
10.7
7.2
4.7
3.9
2.2
1.4
4.1
11.1
15.8
9.3
5.8
4.3
3.4
1.8
1.6
4.5
13.6
16.7
12.9
9.9
5.3
4.5
2.7
1.2
Black, 16 years and older .........................
Less than a high school diploma ....................
Less than 1 year of high school ....................
1-3 years of high school ...............................
4 years of high school, no diploma ...............
High school graduates, no college .................
Some college, no degree ................................
Associate degree ............................................
College graduates ..........................................
15,657
2,238
411
1,518
309
5,441
3,686
1,361
2,931
7,295
1,158
238
750
170
2,649
1,693
538
1,256
8,363
1,080
173
768
139
2,792
1,993
823
1,676
1,503
448
74
330
45
672
244
73
67
520
179
39
128
12
230
74
15
23
983
269
35
202
32
442
170
58
44
9.6
20.0
17.9
21.7
14.5
12.3
6.6
5.3
2.3
7.1
15.4
16.2
17.1
7.2
8.7
4.4
2.7
1.9
11.8
25.0
20.4
26.3
23.3
15.8
8.5
7.0
2.6
1 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor
force for 27 weeks or more.
NOTE: Estimates are based on Census 2000 population controls and an
expanded sample and are not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier
years previously published.
See the Technical Note for additional
information.
8
Table 4. Persons in the labor force for 27 weeks or more who worked during the year: Poverty status by occupation of longest job
held, race, and sex, 2001
(Numbers in thousands)
Rate1
Below poverty level
Occupation and race
Total
Men
Women
Total
Total, 16 years and older2 .............................................. 137,306
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
73,837
63,470
6,422
3,057
3,365
4.7
4.1
5.3
42,476
21,156
21,320
39,101
4,566
15,916
18,619
18,636
658
2,455
15,523
15,231
18,611
7,153
5,992
5,466
3,184
21,337
11,505
9,832
14,093
1,993
8,106
3,994
7,557
28
1,953
5,576
13,861
14,385
4,621
5,383
4,381
2,549
21,138
9,650
11,488
25,008
2,573
7,810
14,625
11,079
629
502
9,947
1,370
4,225
2,531
609
1,085
635
614
281
333
1,629
71
942
616
2,008
134
73
1,801
654
1,059
337
266
456
455
284
144
140
450
32
294
124
617
6
42
568
585
751
191
217
343
366
330
137
193
1,179
39
648
492
1,391
128
31
1,233
69
307
145
49
113
89
1.4
1.3
1.6
4.2
1.6
5.9
3.3
10.8
20.4
3.0
11.6
4.3
5.7
4.7
4.4
8.3
14.3
1.3
1.3
1.4
3.2
1.6
3.6
3.1
8.2
(3)
2.2
10.2
4.2
5.2
4.1
4.0
7.8
14.4
1.6
1.4
1.7
4.7
1.5
8.3
3.4
12.6
20.3
6.1
12.4
5.0
7.3
5.7
8.1
10.4
14.0
White, 16 years and older2 ........................................... 114,350
62,585
51,764
4,695
2,429
2,266
4.1
3.9
4.4
Managerial and professional specialty ...............................
Executive, administrative, and managerial .......................
Professional specialty .......................................................
Technical, sales, and administrative support ......................
Technicians and related support ......................................
Sales occupations ............................................................
Administrative support, including clerical ..........................
Service occupations ...........................................................
Private household .............................................................
Protective service .............................................................
Service, except private household and protective ............
Precision production, craft, and repair ................................
Operators, fabricators, and laborers ...................................
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ..............
Transportation and material moving occupations .............
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ......
Farming, forestry, and fishing .............................................
Managerial and professional specialty ...............................
Executive, administrative, and managerial .......................
Professional specialty .......................................................
Technical, sales, and administrative support ......................
Technicians and related support ......................................
Sales occupations ............................................................
Administrative support, including clerical ..........................
Service occupations ...........................................................
Private household .............................................................
Protective service .............................................................
Service, except private household and protective ............
Precision production, craft, and repair ................................
Operators, fabricators, and laborers ...................................
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ..............
Transportation and material moving occupations .............
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ......
Farming, forestry, and fishing .............................................
36,465
18,530
17,935
32,667
3,774
13,669
15,223
14,047
520
1,854
11,674
13,458
14,798
5,630
4,834
4,334
2,864
18,600
10,306
8,294
11,916
1,621
7,142
3,153
5,752
20
1,535
4,197
12,345
11,655
3,788
4,365
3,502
2,279
17,865
8,225
9,641
20,751
2,153
6,528
12,070
8,296
499
319
7,477
1,113
3,143
1,842
470
832
585
472
215
257
1,140
57
654
429
1,329
95
35
1,199
559
779
248
200
331
412
234
117
117
348
28
230
90
413
3
18
392
508
592
154
165
273
331
239
98
140
792
28
424
339
916
92
17
807
51
187
94
35
58
82
1.3
1.2
1.4
3.5
1.5
4.8
2.8
9.5
18.3
1.9
10.3
4.2
5.3
4.4
4.1
7.6
14.4
1.3
1.1
1.4
2.9
1.7
3.2
2.9
7.2
3
( )
1.2
9.3
4.1
5.1
4.1
3.8
7.8
14.5
1.3
1.2
1.5
3.8
1.3
6.5
2.8
11.0
18.4
5.2
10.8
4.6
6.0
5.1
7.5
7.0
13.9
Black, 16 years and older2 ...........................................
15,389
7,152
8,237
1,349
441
907
8.8
6.2
11.0
Managerial and professional specialty ...............................
Executive, administrative, and managerial .......................
Professional specialty .......................................................
Technical, sales, and administrative support ......................
Technicians and related support ......................................
Sales occupations ............................................................
Administrative support, including clerical ..........................
Service occupations ...........................................................
Private household .............................................................
Protective service .............................................................
Service, except private household and protective ............
Precision production, craft, and repair ................................
Operators, fabricators, and laborers ...................................
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ..............
Transportation and material moving occupations .............
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ......
Farming, forestry, and fishing .............................................
3,329
1,516
1,813
4,433
471
1,436
2,526
3,423
96
517
2,811
1,121
2,854
1,070
956
828
216
1,248
612
636
1,332
172
563
597
1,291
2
354
934
990
2,087
611
831
645
191
2,081
904
1,177
3,101
299
873
1,929
2,133
93
163
1,876
131
766
459
125
182
25
106
48
58
387
−
230
149
544
27
32
485
69
204
63
45
97
39
31
17
14
57
75
30
44
330
−
193
129
389
27
14
348
11
97
36
12
50
6
3.2
3.2
3.2
8.7
−
16.0
5.9
15.9
28.0
6.3
17.3
6.2
7.2
5.9
4.7
11.7
17.8
2.5
2.9
2.1
4.3
−
6.5
3.4
12.0
3
( )
5.2
14.6
5.9
5.1
4.4
4.0
7.3
16.9
3.6
3.4
3.8
10.6
−
22.1
6.7
18.2
28.7
8.5
18.6
8.2
12.7
7.8
9.3
27.3
(3)
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 a small number of persons whose last job was in the Armed
Forces.
3 Data not shown where base is less than 80,000.
−
37
20
155
−
19
137
59
107
27
33
47
32
NOTE: Estimates are based on Census 2000 population controls and an
expanded sample and are not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier
years previously published.
See the Technical Note for additional
information. Dash represents zero or rounds to zero.
9
Table 5. Persons in families and unrelated individuals: Poverty status and work experience, 2001
(Numbers in thousands)
In married-couple families
Poverty status and work experience
Total
persons
In families maintained by
men
Householder
Related
children
under
18
Unrelated
individuals
Other
relatives
Householder
Related
children
under
18
5,416
2,273
1,316
957
3,144
17,386
12,524
2,783
9,741
4,862
13,118
9,720
789
8,931
3,397
1,856
686
428
258
1,170
9,965
6,689
1,082
5,607
3,276
4,420
3,526
192
3,334
894
455
159
82
77
296
4,459
3,083
306
2,778
1,376
46,840
31,582
2,195
29,387
15,258
53,954
36,317
3,218
33,098
17,637
5,113
2,214
1,279
935
2,898
16,716
12,280
2,683
9,597
4,436
9,652
7,710
293
7,417
1,941
1,384
550
334
216
834
8,555
6,105
881
5,225
2,449
3,837
3,182
124
3,058
655
381
145
78
67
236
4,075
2,942
274
2,669
1,133
37,492
28,161
1,162
26,999
9,332
2,730
1,482
152
1,331
1,247
2,758
869
285
583
1,890
304
59
37
22
245
670
244
100
145
426
3,466
2,010
496
1,514
1,456
472
136
94
42
336
1,410
583
201
382
827
583
344
68
277
239
75
14
5
10
60
384
141
32
109
243
9,348
3,421
1,034
2,388
5,927
4.9
3.3
10.2
3.1
11.1
4.9
2.3
8.1
1.7
9.7
5.6
2.6
2.8
2.3
7.8
3.9
2.0
3.6
1.5
8.8
26.4
20.7
62.8
17.0
42.9
Husbands
Wives
56,160
44,872
1,480
43,392
11,287
56,712
37,186
3,504
33,682
19,527
53,430
43,390
1,328
42,062
10,040
22,201
9,305
2,503
6,802
12,897
10.2
6.1
17.7
4.9
20.0
Related
children
under
18
In families maintained by
women
Other
relatives
Other
relatives
TOTAL
All persons1 ................................ 216,788
With labor force activity .................. 152,300
1 to 26 weeks ............................... 14,157
27 weeks or more ......................... 138,143
With no labor force activity ............. 64,488
At or above poverty level
All persons1 ................................ 194,586
With labor force activity .................. 142,995
1 to 26 weeks ............................... 11,654
27 weeks or more ......................... 131,341
With no labor force activity ............. 51,591
Below poverty level
All persons1 ................................
With labor force activity ..................
1 to 26 weeks ...............................
27 weeks or more .........................
With no labor force activity .............
Rate2
All persons1 ................................
With labor force activity ..................
1 to 26 weeks ...............................
27 weeks or more .........................
With no labor force activity .............
1 Data on families include persons in primary families and unrelated
subfamilies.
2 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 16 years and older. Estimates are based on
25.4
19.9
22.0
16.2
28.7
14.2
8.7
18.6
6.8
25.2
13.2
9.8
35.3
8.3
26.8
16.4
9.1
5.9
12.4
20.4
8.6
4.6
10.5
3.9
17.7
20.0
10.8
47.1
8.1
38.8
Census 2000 population controls and an expanded sample and are not
strictly comparable with estimates for earlier years previously published.
See the Technical Note for additional information.
10
Table 6. Primary families: Poverty status, presence of related children, and work experience of family members
in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 2001
(Numbers in thousands)
Total families
At or above
poverty level
Total primary families ................................................
62,251
58,553
3,697
5.9
With related children under 18 ..........................................
Without children ................................................................
35,542
26,708
32,418
26,136
3,125
573
8.8
2.1
With one member in the labor force ..................................
With two or more members in the labor force ...................
With two members ..........................................................
With three or more members ..........................................
25,626
36,625
30,712
5,913
22,505
36,048
30,180
5,868
3,121
576
532
44
12.2
1.6
1.7
.8
With related children under 18 ......................................
Without children ............................................................
26,159
21,692
24,856
21,364
1,303
329
5.0
1.5
With one member in the labor force ..............................
Husband ......................................................................
Wife .............................................................................
Relative .......................................................................
With two or more members in the labor force ...............
With two members ......................................................
With three or more members ......................................
15,550
11,691
3,224
635
32,301
27,301
5,000
14,318
10,747
2,977
594
31,901
26,927
4,974
1,231
944
246
41
400
374
26
7.9
8.1
7.6
6.5
1.2
1.4
.5
With related children under 18 ......................................
Without children ............................................................
7,297
3,210
5,740
3,041
1,557
168
21.3
5.2
With one member in the labor force ..............................
Householder ................................................................
Relative .......................................................................
With two or more members in the labor force ...............
7,657
6,367
1,290
2,850
6,066
4,967
1,099
2,716
1,591
1,400
191
134
20.8
22.0
14.8
4.7
With related children under 18 ......................................
Without children ............................................................
2,086
1,807
1,821
1,731
265
76
12.7
4.2
With one member in the labor force ..............................
Householder ................................................................
Relative .......................................................................
With two or more members in the labor force ...............
2,419
1,972
447
1,474
2,120
1,732
388
1,432
299
240
59
42
12.3
12.2
13.1
2.9
Characteristic
Below poverty
level
Rate1
Married-couple families:
Families maintained by women:
Families maintained by men:
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. Estimates are based on
Census 2000 population controls and an expanded sample and
are not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier years
previously published. See the Technical Note for additional
information.
11
Table 7. Unrelated individuals in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: Poverty status by age, sex, race, Hispanic
origin, and living arrangement, 2001
(Numbers in thousands)
Total
At or above
poverty level
Total unrelated individuals .......................................................................
16 to 19 years ...................................................................................................
20 to 24 years ...................................................................................................
25 to 64 years ...................................................................................................
65 years and older ............................................................................................
29,387
576
3,928
23,603
1,280
26,999
349
3,258
22,140
1,253
2,388
227
670
1,463
27
8.1
39.5
17.1
6.2
2.1
Men ...................................................................................................................
Women .............................................................................................................
16,199
13,187
14,945
12,054
1,255
1,133
7.7
8.6
White ................................................................................................................
Men ................................................................................................................
Women ..........................................................................................................
24,188
13,340
10,848
22,317
12,361
9,956
1,871
980
891
7.7
7.3
8.2
Black .................................................................................................................
Men ................................................................................................................
Women ..........................................................................................................
3,647
1,960
1,688
3,277
1,754
1,523
370
206
164
10.1
10.5
9.7
Hispanic origin ..................................................................................................
Men ................................................................................................................
Women ..........................................................................................................
2,853
1,909
944
2,481
1,691
789
372
217
154
13.0
11.4
16.4
15,619
13,768
14,795
12,204
824
1,564
5.3
11.4
Characteristic
Below poverty
level
Rate1
Age and sex
Race and Hispanic origin
Living arrangement
Living alone ......................................................................................................
Living with others ..............................................................................................
1 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the
labor force for 27 weeks or more.
NOTE: Detail for race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to
totals because data for the "other races" group are not presented
and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population
groups. Estimates are based on Census 2000 population controls
and an expanded sample and are not strictly comparable with
estimates for earlier years previously published. See the Technical
Note for additional information.
Table 8. Persons in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: Poverty status and labor market problems of full-time
wage and salary workers, 2001
(Numbers in thousands)
Total
At or above
poverty level
Total, full-time wage and salary workers .....................................................
109,117
105,630
3,487
3.2
No unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, or low earnings2 .........
88,769
88,176
593
.7
Unemployment only ..........................................................................................
Involuntary part-time employment only .............................................................
Low earnings only .............................................................................................
6,762
2,658
7,128
6,399
2,598
5,601
363
60
1,526
5.4
2.2
21.4
Unemployment and involuntary part-time employment ....................................
Unemployment and low earnings .....................................................................
Involuntary part-time employment and low earnings ........................................
1,172
1,459
726
1,079
959
557
93
500
169
7.9
34.3
23.2
Unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, and low earnings .............
444
261
184
41.3
Poverty status and labor market problems
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 2001 was $260.66 per week.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 16 years and older. Estimates are
Below poverty
level
Rate1
based on Census 2000 population controls and an expanded
sample and are not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier
years previously published. See the Technical Note for additional
information.
12
Revised Data for 2000
13
Table 1. Persons in the labor force: Poverty status and work experience by weeks in the labor force, 2000
(Numbers in thousands)
27 weeks or more in the labor force
Poverty status and work experience
Total in the labor force
Total
50 to 52 weeks
152,417
1,630
150,787
121,427
29,360
3,581
25,779
137,398
693
136,705
115,317
21,388
2,822
18,566
123,009
547
122,462
106,829
15,633
2,150
13,483
143,286
993
142,294
116,230
26,064
2,715
23,349
130,916
389
130,526
111,285
19,241
2,168
17,073
117,880
291
117,588
103,511
14,077
1,675
12,402
9,131
637
8,494
5,197
3,297
866
2,431
6,483
303
6,179
4,032
2,147
654
1,493
5,130
256
4,874
3,318
1,556
475
1,081
6.0
39.1
5.6
4.3
11.2
24.2
9.4
4.7
43.8
4.5
3.5
10.0
23.2
8.0
4.2
46.7
4.0
3.1
10.0
22.1
8.0
TOTAL
Total in labor force ................................................................................
Did not work during the year ...............................................................
Worked during the year ......................................................................
Usual full-time workers .....................................................................
Usual part-time workers ....................................................................
Involuntary part-time workers .........................................................
Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................
At or above poverty level
Total in labor force ................................................................................
Did not work during the year ...............................................................
Worked during the year ......................................................................
Usual full-time workers .....................................................................
Usual part-time workers ....................................................................
Involuntary part-time workers .........................................................
Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................
Below poverty level
Total in labor force ................................................................................
Did not work during the year ...............................................................
Worked during the year ......................................................................
Usual full-time workers .....................................................................
Usual part-time workers ....................................................................
Involuntary part-time workers .........................................................
Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................
Rate1
Total in labor force ................................................................................
Did not work during the year ...............................................................
Worked during the year ......................................................................
Usual full-time workers .....................................................................
Usual part-time workers ....................................................................
Involuntary part-time workers .........................................................
Voluntary part-time workers ............................................................
1 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor
force.
NOTE: Data have been revised to reflect Census 2000 population
controls and an expanded sample and are not strictly comparable with
estimates for earlier years. See the Technical Note for additional
information.
14
Table 2. Persons in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: Poverty status by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2000
(Numbers in thousands)
Rate1
Below poverty level
Age and sex
Total
White
Black
Total, 16 years and older .................. 137,398 114,207 15,638
16 to 19 years .......................................
5,191
4,420
550
20 to 24 years ....................................... 13,011 10,658
1,675
25 to 34 years ....................................... 31,442 25,345
4,062
35 to 44 years ....................................... 36,857 30,337
4,414
45 to 54 years ....................................... 31,508 26,615
3,255
55 to 64 years ....................................... 14,891 12,824
1,344
65 years and older ................................
4,497
4,009
340
Hispanic
origin
Total
White
Black
Hispanic
origin
Total
White
Black
Hispanic
origin
15,934
753
2,365
5,004
4,146
2,486
969
212
6,483
466
1,219
1,767
1,637
836
461
96
4,636
345
906
1,240
1,153
574
342
76
1,449
101
247
427
372
192
91
18
1,624
93
295
566
416
182
57
15
4.7
9.0
9.4
5.6
4.4
2.7
3.1
2.1
4.1
7.8
8.5
4.9
3.8
2.2
2.7
1.9
9.3
18.4
14.8
10.5
8.4
5.9
6.8
5.2
10.2
12.4
12.5
11.3
10.0
7.3
5.9
7.1
Men, 16 years and older ...................
16 to 19 years .......................................
20 to 24 years .......................................
25 to 34 years .......................................
35 to 44 years .......................................
45 to 54 years .......................................
55 to 64 years .......................................
65 years and older ................................
73,991
2,644
6,804
17,210
20,022
16,616
8,056
2,638
62,631
2,276
5,691
14,233
16,843
14,221
6,991
2,376
7,206
259
750
1,819
2,051
1,507
654
167
9,547
460
1,475
3,085
2,471
1,360
558
138
3,023
225
527
796
756
435
233
52
2,367
179
424
627
580
326
187
44
447
35
74
114
115
72
30
−
971
60
175
353
244
102
27
10
4.1
8.5
7.7
4.6
3.8
2.6
2.9
2.0
3.8
7.9
7.4
4.4
3.4
2.3
2.7
1.8
6.2
13.4
9.9
6.2
5.6
4.8
4.6
−
10.2
13.0
11.9
11.4
9.9
7.5
4.8
7.2
Women, 16 years and older .............
16 to 19 years .......................................
20 to 24 years .......................................
25 to 34 years .......................................
35 to 44 years .......................................
45 to 54 years .......................................
55 to 64 years .......................................
65 years and older ................................
63,407
2,547
6,207
14,233
16,835
14,892
6,835
1,859
51,575
2,144
4,966
11,112
13,494
12,394
5,832
1,633
8,433
291
925
2,243
2,363
1,748
690
173
6,387
293
889
1,919
1,675
1,126
412
74
3,459
241
692
972
881
401
228
45
2,269
165
482
612
573
248
156
33
1,002
67
173
313
257
120
61
10
653
33
120
213
172
79
30
5
5.5
9.5
11.2
6.8
5.2
2.7
3.3
2.4
4.4
7.7
9.7
5.5
4.2
2.0
2.7
2.0
11.9
23.0
18.7
14.0
10.9
6.9
8.8
6.0
10.2
11.4
13.5
11.1
10.3
7.0
7.3
7.0
1 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor
force for 27 weeks or more.
NOTE: Detail for race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals
because data for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics
are included in both the white and black population groups. Data have
been revised to reflect Census 2000 population controls and an expanded
sample and are not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier years.
See the Technical Note for additional information. Dash represents zero
or rounds to zero.
15
Table 3. Persons in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: Poverty status by educational attainment, race, and sex, 2000
(Numbers in thousands)
Rate1
Below poverty level
Educational attainment and race
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total, 16 years and older ............................
Less than a high school diploma ....................
Less than 1 year of high school ....................
1-3 years of high school ...............................
4 years of high school, no diploma ...............
High school graduates, no college .................
Some college, no degree ................................
Associate degree ............................................
College graduates ..........................................
137,398
16,739
4,929
10,076
1,734
42,745
27,425
12,232
38,256
73,991
10,291
3,337
5,887
1,066
23,173
13,826
5,833
20,867
63,407
6,448
1,592
4,188
668
19,572
13,598
6,399
17,390
6,483
2,214
733
1,284
197
2,274
1,164
319
511
3,023
1,206
497
619
90
966
484
115
253
3,459
1,008
237
665
106
1,308
680
204
258
4.7
13.2
14.9
12.7
11.4
5.3
4.2
2.6
1.3
4.1
11.7
14.9
10.5
8.5
4.2
3.5
2.0
1.2
5.5
15.6
14.9
15.9
15.9
6.7
5.0
3.2
1.5
White, 16 years and older .........................
Less than a high school diploma ....................
Less than 1 year of high school ....................
1-3 years of high school ...............................
4 years of high school, no diploma ...............
High school graduates, no college .................
Some college, no degree ................................
Associate degree ............................................
College graduates ..........................................
114,207
13,693
4,328
8,088
1,277
35,408
22,535
10,241
32,330
62,631
8,705
2,997
4,880
828
19,501
11,589
5,016
17,821
51,575
4,988
1,331
3,208
449
15,907
10,947
5,224
14,509
4,636
1,631
651
864
116
1,520
852
240
393
2,367
996
455
477
64
713
372
95
190
2,269
634
196
387
52
807
479
145
204
4.1
11.9
15.0
10.7
9.1
4.3
3.8
2.3
1.2
3.8
11.4
15.2
9.8
7.7
3.7
3.2
1.9
1.1
4.4
12.7
14.7
12.0
11.6
5.1
4.4
2.8
1.4
Black, 16 years and older .........................
Less than a high school diploma ....................
Less than 1 year of high school ....................
1-3 years of high school ...............................
4 years of high school, no diploma ...............
High school graduates, no college .................
Some college, no degree ................................
Associate degree ............................................
College graduates ..........................................
15,638
2,266
321
1,565
380
5,642
3,634
1,373
2,724
7,206
1,163
202
774
188
2,773
1,561
532
1,176
8,433
1,103
119
791
193
2,869
2,073
841
1,547
1,449
475
50
349
76
630
239
55
50
447
153
27
102
24
193
71
10
19
1,002
322
24
246
52
437
168
45
31
9.3
21.0
15.7
22.3
20.0
11.2
6.6
4.0
1.8
6.2
13.2
13.4
13.2
12.7
7.0
4.5
2.0
1.6
11.9
29.2
19.8
31.1
27.1
15.2
8.1
5.3
2.0
1 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor
force for 27 weeks or more.
NOTE: Data have been revised to reflect Census 2000 population controls
and an expanded sample and are not strictly comparable with estimates for
earlier years. See the Technical Note for additional information.
16
Table 4. Persons in the labor force for 27 weeks or more who worked during the year: Poverty status by occupation of longest job
held, race, and sex, 2000
(Numbers in thousands)
Rate1
Below poverty level
Occupation and race
Total
Men
Women
Total
Total, 16 years and older2 .............................................. 136,705
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
73,580
63,126
6,179
2,847
3,332
4.5
3.9
5.3
41,706
20,693
21,013
39,497
4,656
15,999
18,842
18,022
662
2,402
14,958
15,338
18,829
7,601
5,758
5,469
3,252
21,102
11,225
9,877
14,175
2,148
8,075
3,953
7,253
30
1,948
5,275
14,010
14,353
4,788
5,139
4,426
2,632
20,604
9,468
11,136
25,322
2,508
7,924
14,889
10,769
632
454
9,683
1,328
4,475
2,813
620
1,043
620
551
275
276
1,531
59
862
610
1,898
127
66
1,705
523
1,212
416
245
551
462
248
134
114
394
15
250
129
528
12
40
476
468
845
207
207
431
362
303
141
162
1,137
44
612
481
1,371
116
26
1,229
55
366
208
37
121
101
1.3
1.3
1.3
3.9
1.3
5.4
3.2
10.5
19.3
2.7
11.4
3.4
6.4
5.5
4.2
10.1
14.2
1.2
1.2
1.2
2.8
.7
3.1
3.3
7.3
(3)
2.1
9.0
3.3
5.9
4.3
4.0
9.7
13.7
1.5
1.5
1.5
4.5
1.8
7.7
3.2
12.7
18.3
5.6
12.7
4.2
8.2
7.4
6.0
11.6
16.2
White, 16 years and older2 ........................................... 113,817
62,385
51,432
4,475
2,254
2,221
3.9
3.6
4.3
Managerial and professional specialty ...............................
Executive, administrative, and managerial .......................
Professional specialty .......................................................
Technical, sales, and administrative support ......................
Technicians and related support ......................................
Sales occupations ............................................................
Administrative support, including clerical ..........................
Service occupations ...........................................................
Private household .............................................................
Protective service .............................................................
Service, except private household and protective ............
Precision production, craft, and repair ................................
Operators, fabricators, and laborers ...................................
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ..............
Transportation and material moving occupations .............
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ......
Farming, forestry, and fishing .............................................
Managerial and professional specialty ...............................
Executive, administrative, and managerial .......................
Professional specialty .......................................................
Technical, sales, and administrative support ......................
Technicians and related support ......................................
Sales occupations ............................................................
Administrative support, including clerical ..........................
Service occupations ...........................................................
Private household .............................................................
Protective service .............................................................
Service, except private household and protective ............
Precision production, craft, and repair ................................
Operators, fabricators, and laborers ...................................
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ..............
Transportation and material moving occupations .............
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ......
Farming, forestry, and fishing .............................................
35,828
18,019
17,809
32,905
3,813
13,740
15,352
13,584
518
1,832
11,234
13,508
14,930
5,975
4,617
4,337
3,011
18,373
10,001
8,372
12,022
1,797
7,131
3,094
5,504
21
1,522
3,961
12,468
11,536
3,906
4,123
3,507
2,435
17,455
8,018
9,437
20,883
2,016
6,609
12,258
8,080
497
310
7,273
1,039
3,394
2,070
494
830
576
418
210
207
1,040
42
578
420
1,266
96
33
1,137
448
877
294
180
403
428
195
111
84
307
11
203
93
382
8
23
351
399
640
163
156
321
332
223
100
123
733
31
375
327
884
88
10
785
48
237
131
24
82
96
1.2
1.2
1.2
3.2
1.1
4.2
2.7
9.3
18.5
1.8
10.1
3.3
5.9
4.9
3.9
9.3
14.2
1.1
1.1
1.0
2.6
.6
2.8
3.0
6.9
3
( )
1.5
8.9
3.2
5.5
4.2
3.8
9.1
13.6
1.3
1.2
1.3
3.5
1.5
5.7
2.7
10.9
17.8
3.3
10.8
4.7
7.0
6.3
4.8
9.9
16.6
Black, 16 years and older2 ...........................................
15,384
7,068
8,316
1,322
393
929
8.6
5.6
11.2
Managerial and professional specialty ...............................
Executive, administrative, and managerial .......................
Professional specialty .......................................................
Technical, sales, and administrative support ......................
Technicians and related support ......................................
Sales occupations ............................................................
Administrative support, including clerical ..........................
Service occupations ...........................................................
Private household .............................................................
Protective service .............................................................
Service, except private household and protective ............
Precision production, craft, and repair ................................
Operators, fabricators, and laborers ...................................
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ..............
Transportation and material moving occupations .............
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ......
Farming, forestry, and fishing .............................................
3,277
1,579
1,699
4,473
499
1,376
2,598
3,358
102
485
2,771
1,176
2,930
1,117
924
889
162
1,245
643
602
1,235
164
491
580
1,271
4
359
907
1,008
2,161
614
818
729
142
2,033
936
1,097
3,238
335
885
2,018
2,087
97
126
1,864
168
768
502
106
160
20
93
49
44
379
−
227
143
516
24
20
472
50
256
90
45
121
26
28
12
16
45
65
37
28
334
−
202
122
417
22
14
381
6
103
56
13
34
4
2.8
3.1
2.6
8.5
−
16.5
5.5
15.4
23.3
4.2
17.0
4.3
8.7
8.1
4.8
13.6
16.3
2.2
1.9
2.6
3.7
−
5.0
3.6
7.8
3
( )
1.8
10.1
4.4
7.1
5.5
3.8
12.0
15.7
3.2
4.0
2.5
10.3
−
22.8
6.0
20.0
23.0
11.0
20.4
3.3
13.4
11.1
12.4
21.3
(3)
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 a small number of persons whose last job was in the Armed
Forces.
3 Data not shown where base is less than 80,000.
−
24
21
99
1
7
91
45
153
34
31
87
22
NOTE: Data have been revised to reflect Census 2000 population controls
and an expanded sample and are not strictly comparable with estimates for
earlier years. See the Technical Note for additional information.
Dash
represents zero or rounds to zero.
17
Table 5. Persons in families and unrelated individuals: Poverty status and work experience, 2000
(Numbers in thousands)
In married-couple families
Poverty status and work experience
Total
persons
In families maintained by
men
Householder
Related
children
under
18
Unrelated
individuals
Other
relatives
Householder
Related
children
under
18
5,336
2,541
1,500
1,041
2,795
17,005
12,457
2,758
9,699
4,548
12,880
9,509
889
8,620
3,371
1,750
748
457
291
1,003
9,737
6,722
1,013
5,709
3,015
4,237
3,455
204
3,252
782
474
214
114
100
260
4,191
2,963
312
2,650
1,229
46,186
31,663
2,405
29,258
14,523
53,906
36,473
3,556
32,917
17,433
5,002
2,461
1,443
1,018
2,540
16,349
12,200
2,663
9,537
4,149
9,603
7,560
360
7,200
2,043
1,250
615
361
254
634
8,389
6,122
799
5,323
2,267
3,757
3,169
132
3,037
588
421
202
107
94
220
3,890
2,840
278
2,562
1,050
37,334
28,340
1,320
27,020
8,994
2,617
1,513
192
1,320
1,104
2,637
857
270
587
1,780
335
80
57
23
255
656
257
94
162
399
3,277
1,949
529
1,420
1,328
501
132
95
37
368
1,348
601
214
386
748
480
286
71
215
194
53
12
6
6
40
301
122
34
88
179
8,852
3,323
1,085
2,238
5,529
4.7
3.4
12.5
3.1
9.9
4.7
2.3
7.1
1.8
9.3
6.3
3.1
3.8
2.2
9.1
3.9
2.1
3.4
1.7
8.8
25.4
20.5
59.5
16.5
39.4
Husbands
Wives
55,953
44,816
1,542
43,274
11,137
56,542
37,329
3,826
33,504
19,213
53,336
43,303
1,350
41,953
10,033
21,055
9,131
2,648
6,483
11,924
9.8
6.0
17.6
4.7
19.3
Related
children
under
18
In families maintained by
women
Other
relatives
Other
relatives
TOTAL
All persons1 ................................ 214,292
With labor force activity .................. 152,417
1 to 26 weeks ............................... 15,019
27 weeks or more ......................... 137,398
With no labor force activity ............. 61,875
At or above poverty level
All persons1 ................................ 193,237
With labor force activity .................. 143,286
1 to 26 weeks ............................... 12,371
27 weeks or more ......................... 130,916
With no labor force activity ............. 49,951
Below poverty level
All persons1 ................................
With labor force activity ..................
1 to 26 weeks ...............................
27 weeks or more .........................
With no labor force activity .............
Rate2
All persons1 ................................
With labor force activity ..................
1 to 26 weeks ...............................
27 weeks or more .........................
With no labor force activity .............
1 Data on families include persons in primary families and unrelated
subfamilies.
2 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 16 years and older. Data have been revised
28.6
17.7
20.9
12.7
36.7
13.8
8.9
21.1
6.8
24.8
11.3
8.3
35.0
6.6
24.8
11.1
5.7
5.3
6.2
15.5
7.2
4.1
10.9
3.3
14.6
19.2
10.5
45.1
7.6
38.1
to reflect Census 2000 population controls and an expanded sample and are
not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier years. See the Technical
Note for additional information.
18
Table 6. Primary families: Poverty status, presence of related children, and work experience of family members
in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 2000
(Numbers in thousands)
Total families
At or above
poverty level
Total primary families ................................................
61,879
58,387
3,492
5.6
With related children under 18 ..........................................
Without children ................................................................
35,423
26,456
32,441
25,946
2,982
510
8.4
1.9
With one member in the labor force ..................................
With two or more members in the labor force ...................
With two members ..........................................................
With three or more members ..........................................
25,261
36,618
30,487
6,131
22,381
36,006
29,931
6,076
2,880
612
557
56
11.4
1.7
1.8
.9
With related children under 18 ......................................
Without children ............................................................
26,314
21,427
25,036
21,120
1,278
307
4.9
1.4
With one member in the labor force ..............................
Husband ......................................................................
Wife .............................................................................
Relative .......................................................................
With two or more members in the labor force ...............
With two members ......................................................
With three or more members ......................................
15,560
11,771
3,148
641
32,181
26,994
5,187
14,419
10,879
2,940
600
31,737
26,589
5,148
1,141
892
208
41
444
405
39
7.3
7.6
6.6
6.3
1.4
1.5
.8
With related children under 18 ......................................
Without children ............................................................
7,079
3,294
5,573
3,153
1,505
141
21.3
4.3
With one member in the labor force ..............................
Householder ................................................................
Relative .......................................................................
With two or more members in the labor force ...............
7,408
5,996
1,411
2,965
5,900
4,686
1,214
2,826
1,508
1,310
197
138
20.4
21.8
14.0
4.7
With related children under 18 ......................................
Without children ............................................................
2,031
1,735
1,832
1,673
199
62
9.8
3.5
With one member in the labor force ..............................
Householder ................................................................
Relative .......................................................................
With two or more members in the labor force ...............
2,293
1,910
383
1,473
2,062
1,724
338
1,443
231
186
45
30
10.1
9.8
11.7
2.0
Characteristic
Below poverty
level
Rate1
Married-couple families:
Families maintained by women:
Families maintained by men:
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. Data have been revised
to reflect Census 2000 population controls and an expanded
sample and are not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier
years. See the Technical Note for additional information.
19
Table 7. Unrelated individuals in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: Poverty status by age, sex, race, Hispanic
origin, and living arrangement, 2000
(Numbers in thousands)
Total
At or above
poverty level
Total unrelated individuals .......................................................................
16 to 19 years ...................................................................................................
20 to 24 years ...................................................................................................
25 to 64 years ...................................................................................................
65 years and older ............................................................................................
29,258
568
4,098
23,391
1,201
27,020
360
3,429
22,072
1,160
2,238
209
669
1,319
41
7.6
36.7
16.3
5.6
3.4
Men ...................................................................................................................
Women .............................................................................................................
16,177
13,081
15,100
11,920
1,077
1,161
6.7
8.9
White ................................................................................................................
Men ................................................................................................................
Women ..........................................................................................................
24,080
13,329
10,751
22,390
12,523
9,867
1,690
806
884
7.0
6.0
8.2
Black .................................................................................................................
Men ................................................................................................................
Women ..........................................................................................................
3,785
2,002
1,782
3,367
1,797
1,569
418
205
213
11.0
10.2
12.0
Hispanic origin ..................................................................................................
Men ................................................................................................................
Women ..........................................................................................................
2,867
1,917
950
2,514
1,720
794
353
197
157
12.3
10.3
16.5
15,289
13,970
14,537
12,483
751
1,486
4.9
10.6
Characteristic
Below poverty
level
Rate1
Age and sex
Race and Hispanic origin
Living arrangement
Living alone ......................................................................................................
Living with others ..............................................................................................
1 Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the
labor force for 27 weeks or more.
NOTE: Detail for race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to
totals because data for the "other races" group are not presented
and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population
groups. Data have been revised to reflect Census 2000 population
controls and an expanded sample and are not strictly comparable
with estimates for earlier years. See the Technical Note for
additional information.
Table 8. Persons in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: Poverty status and labor market problems of full-time
wage and salary workers, 2000
(Numbers in thousands)
Total
At or above
poverty level
Total, full-time wage and salary workers .....................................................
108,409
104,989
3,420
3.2
No unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, or low earnings2 .........
89,805
89,235
569
.6
Unemployment only ..........................................................................................
Involuntary part-time employment only .............................................................
Low earnings only .............................................................................................
5,248
2,173
7,952
4,928
2,136
6,383
321
37
1,568
6.1
1.7
19.7
Unemployment and involuntary part-time employment ....................................
Unemployment and low earnings .....................................................................
Involuntary part-time employment and low earnings ........................................
893
1,325
671
833
791
497
59
534
175
6.6
40.3
26.0
Unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, and low earnings .............
343
185
158
46.0
Poverty status and labor market problems
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 2000 was $253.45 per week.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 16 years and older. Data have been
Below poverty
level
Rate1
revised to reflect Census 2000 population controls and an expanded
sample and are not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier
years. See the Technical Note for additional information.
20