Report: Poverty Increasing Despite Improving Georgia Economy
Georgia Budget and Policy Institute
A new report says Georgia’s economy is improving, but the number of people living in poverty is actually increasing. According to a Georgia Budget and Policy Institute report, Georgia is currently ranked the sixth worst state in the U.S. for adult and child poverty.
The report says last year more than 19 percent of Georgians lived in poverty. That’s about 160,000 more than in 2010. Melissa Johnson is a Policy Analyst with the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.
“We still have a jobs problem. Unemployment is slowly getting better, but the state has only recovered two-thirds of the jobs lost since the economic crisis.”
And Johnson says many who are able to get employment are working low-wage jobs or part-time. She says that makes it difficult for families to meet basic needs and creates barriers to education, healthcare and transportation.
“Georgia cannot afford to have as many poor people as it does. It’s bad for our economy. It’s bad for our global competitiveness.”
But Johnson says Georgia can reverse the trend.
“We just need to invest in poor people through childcare, health coverage, making sure young adults can go to college.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, nearly half of the Georgians living in poverty are in metro Atlanta. Those compiling the report analyzed data and information from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Brookings Institution and other academic sources.
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