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Rising economic tide lifts all boats, census report showsBut African-American and Hispanic families' incomes still lagging
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The percentage of Americans living in poverty has fallen to its lowest level in 20 years, recent statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate. But the new numbers also indicate African-American and Hispanic families continue to earn less money than white families. According to the report, there were 2.2 million fewer poor people in the United States in 1999 than there were in 1998. That's a drop of about 1 percentage point from 12.7 in 1998 to 11.8 last year. The Census Bureau defines its annual poverty threshold for a family of four at $17,029. That figure is gross income, the amount earned before employers deduct taxes and other payments for insurance coverage or savings contributions. The numbers compare figures from the Current Population Surveys for 1999 and 1998. Statistics from the 2000 census will not be available until 2002. The CPS is a joint venture between the Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is the country's primary source of labor force statistics for the entire population. The survey contains information on earnings, unemployment rates and other income data, and it allows economy watchers to monitor workforce conditions. The report indicates that the nation's median household income rose 2.7 percent to $40,816 per year, the highest level recorded by the bureau since data was first gathered in 1967. "The rising tide of the economy is lifting all boats," President Bill Clinton said in trumpeting the new reports. "Every income group is seeing economic growth, with the greatest gains in percentage terms being made by the hardest-pressed Americans." Racial gapsBut the 1999 data also showed a large gap between median incomes among racial groups. White households earned a median income of $44,366, while African-American households reported a median income of $27,910. Hispanic households showed a median income of $30,735, according to the bureau. Despite the racial income gaps, Clinton said increases in income among minority groups had increased significantly in 1999. Daniel Weinberg, chief of the bureau's housing and household economics statistics division, said the drop in poverty was widespread among all groups. "Every racial and ethnic group experienced a drop in both the number of poor and the percent in poverty, as did children, the elderly and people aged 25 to 44," Weinberg said. Regional income
The income report's regional data showed that the median income level did not drop in any of the 50 states, while it increased in 14 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Wisconsin. "Declines in poverty were concentrated in metropolitan areas, particularly central cities. And, on the income side, this was the fifth consecutive year that households experienced a real annual increase in income," Weinberg said. Clinton took credit for the positive numbers in the census reports and promised similar results in the future. "The most important thing we can say about our economy is that it works for working families," Clinton said. "Its success belongs to all the American people. If we stay on the path that got us here, the path of fiscal discipline, we can reach even greater heights of prosperity." RELATED STORIES: More Americans stood up to be counted RELATED SITES: U.S. Census Bureau | |||||||||
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