the state of poverty, opportunity, and economic security in

New York
ationwide, millions of families facing economic hardship and poverty are doing all they can to make ends meet despite todays challenging economy. More than 106 million Americans are struggling to make ends meet. Millions face hardships such as trouble paying the rent, keeping current with utility payments, covering the cost of health care, and putting food on the table. In New York, families are dealing with these challenges and more on a daily basis. Of the total number of residents in New York, 16 percent are living below the official poverty line, 8.2 percent are unemployed, and 16.4 percent of households are struggling with hunger. Right now, policymakers face major decisions about the future of struggling families in New York, and the competitiveness of our nation as a whole. They can choose policies that only benefit the wealthiest in our country by placing heavier burdens on New Yorks middle-and low-income families. Or they can choose to make the right investments in good jobs and to strengthen families and promote their economic security-all while cutting the deficit. This factsheet shows how New York is faring. More New York families in poverty means fewer consumers in the state economy and fewer skilled workers for the jobs and industries of the future. In the past we have significantly cut poverty when a strong economy in combination with strong public policies and private initiatives worked together to lift up millions of Americans. We need your voice to advocate for our elected officials to enact legislation that moves these indicators in the right direction and rebuilds the middle class.

Creating good jobs

Increasing the number of workers in good jobs that pay family-supporting wages and offer benefits and traditional workplace policies such as sick leave is one of the fastest ways to reduce poverty. Ensuring that more students graduate from high school and that adults have the skills needed for good jobs is also a critical piece of the jobs puzzle. Improving wages for all workers and ensuring that women are paid comparably to men will also lower the number of families in New York who face economic risk.

five measures for improvement for the men, women, and families of new york:
Youth who are not in school or employed: 8 percent, ranked 16th in the country High school graduation rate: 73.5 percent, ranked 39th in the country Percentage of young adults ages 25 to 34 with an associates degree or higher: 49.2 percent, ranked 5th in the country For every dollar earned by a man, a woman in New York doing the same job earns $0.79, ranked 18th in the country When these measures rise in New York, we will know that opportunity is replacing poverty in the Empire State.

half in ten | the right choices to cut poverty and restore shared prosperity | november 19, 2012

Strengthening families and communities

Increasing the health and stability of struggling families is an essential element of a successful strategy to reduce poverty. To do so requires an increasing number of lowincome families gaining access to quality health care. It also means that parents, particularly single parents, have assistance with basic expenses so they can provide for their families. Reducing teen parenting also helps alleviate poverty.

Promoting economic security

Economically secure families are less likely to fall into poverty when members cannot work or when work is unavailable, unstable, or pays so little that they cannot make ends meet. Jobless workers should be able to turn to unemployment insurance when needed, and families should be able to access sufficient food and affordable housing. Economic security also means providing opportunities for families to build their own assets to weather unforeseen crises and save for the future.

three measures of improvement in new york to help strengthen struggling families:

Percentage of the state population living without health insurance: 11.4, ranked 16th in the country Teen birth rate: 22.6 births by teenagers per every 1000 births, ranked 9th in the country Foster care placement: 6 children living in foster care per every 1000 children in New York, ranked 25th in the country When these measures improve we will know New York is on the right track.

four measures of improvement to help more families in new york build economic security:
Number of affordable and available units for every 100 renter households with very low incomes: 52, ranked 43rd in the country Households struggling against hunger: 16.4 percent, ranked 44th in the country Percentage of unemployed workers receiving unemployment insurance: 64 percent, ranked 10th in the country Percentage of households that are asset poor: 36 percent, ranked 49th in the country When these measures indicate economic security is available in times of crisis for individuals and families in need, we will know that the opportunity to succeed in New York is strong.

Half in Ten urges you to stand up and take action today. Contact your members of Congress and ask them to protect low-income people in deficit reduction, promote tax fairness by making permanent reforms to the earned income and child tax credits, and focus on creating more good jobs by passing provisions such as those in the American Jobs Act. for more resources, please visit http://www.halfinten.org/indicators.

half in ten | the right choices to cut poverty and restore shared prosperity | november 19, 2012