What do we know so far about U.S poverty rates in 2020?

Fact Sheet
Written By Guest User

The Census Bureau announced today that from 2018 to 2019, SPM poverty fell from 12.8% to 11.7%. However, with the onset of COVID-19 and unemployment increasing from around 3.5 percent at the end of 2019 to as high as 19 percent in April, poverty rates in 2020 are likely to look very different.  

This fact sheet highlights three findings related to poverty rates in 2020.

  1. The rise in unemployment threatens to send poverty rates to levels higher than those observed in the Great Recession.

  2. The CARES Act may have temporarily blunted further increases in poverty, but expiration of the Pandemic Unemployment Compensation may reverse that progress.  

  3. Material hardship remains at high levels.

Guest User
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The Direct Effect of Taxes and Transfers on Changes in the U.S. Income Distribution