Community Corner

Census Survey Paints Discouraging Portrait of NJ's Poor and Middle Class

Economic indicators show recession's effects linger as household incomes barely increase, poverty climbs

by Colleen O'Dea, NJSpotlight.com

New Jerseyans are continuing to struggle to recover from the recession, with household incomes barely rising while the number of families living in poverty increased significantly.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 American Community Survey paints a picture of a state not even close to regaining the wealth and high-paying jobs lost during the 2007-09 recession: Median household income was essentially stable at $69,667, but the proportion of families living in poverty rose to 8.3 percent and more than 1.1 million people were without health insurance.

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“One thing is clear: the middle class and the poor are worse off than they were during the recession, and even than when the recovery had started,” said Ray Castro, senior policy analyst with the think-tank New Jersey Policy Perspective. “Banks are doing well, Wall Street is doing well, but it’s not trickling down the way it’s supposed to, to ordinary New Jerseyans.”

Read more at NJSpotlight.com

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