From a study in 2014, 46.7 million people are in poverty in the United States. This study raises an important question, “Why is poverty so high in America?”. Before the economic crash in 2007, the number of people in poverty were 37.3 million. Comparing the numbers from 2007 to 2014, 9.4 million people were newly added to the poverty list after the economic recession occurred. When looking at the changes that have occurred from 2007 to 2014, it’s a plethora of reason to blame for the increase in poverty between 7 years. The top two causes are low minimum wage and limited educational access.
Low minimum wage is a cause in the matter because of the false conception that minimum wage jobs are all occupied by teenagers. Although the age of minimum wage workers are young, employed teenagers who are paid by the hour are 15% of people who have earned minimum wage or less, compared with about 3% of workers age 25 or older. Although teenagers are thrown into the bunch, we also have to think about college graduates and teen parents who occupy that 15% and how their empty pockets not only affect them negatively but how it lands them in poverty living from paycheck to paycheck. Not to mention 3% may be a small number, but it still signifies adults working minimum wage jobs to
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Studies have shown that those with a high school diploma make more than those without. Although in poorer neighborhoods, a large percentage of teenagers drop out due to amilies financial issues. These teenagers drop out then have no plans of going to college or learning a trade, but of working a minimum job to survive. Although this mindset is highly illogical to those of us who haven’t had to experience it, for others it’s the only way for their survival. This then adds more numbers to the amount of people in poverty and shows the sad realities for some