Friday, September 06, 2013

Almost One In Four Ameicans Can't Meet Basic Economic Needs

Number Of Americans Not Able To Meet Basic Expenses Is Increasing

In 2011, 22% of households experienced one or more possible “hardships” in fulfilling their basic needs in the previous 12 months. The U.S. Census Bureau says these hardships included difficulty meeting essential expenses, not paying rent or mortgage, getting evicted, not paying utilities, having utilities or phone service cut off, not seeing a doctor or dentist when needed, or not always having enough food.

The number of American households that could not meet basic expenses increased by 16% (from 16.4 million to 19.1 million) from 2005 to 2011.

Among all households, 9% experienced exactly one of them, 7% experienced two of the hardships, and 6% endured three or more.  Among all householders in 2011, 64% had all six of the following appliances and electronic goods: clothes washer, clothes dryer, refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, and a landline or cell phone.

Report From Census Bureau

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