A new national report released Tuesday found that 56 percent of low-income working families in the state do not have any post-secondary education, ranking the Connecticut 34th in the nation on this measure. Additionally, 32 percent of working minority families in Connecticut are low-income compared to 10 percent of non-minority working families.
“Still Working Hard, Still Falling Short,” a follow-up to the 2004 report “Working Hard, Falling Short,” found that nationwide more than one in four working families – a total of 42 million adults and children – were low-income in 2006, earning too little to meet their basic needs.
“While our national leaders struggle with the financial bailout and unemployment continues to rise, Still Working Hard gives Connecticut policymakers a picture of another harsh reality: low-income working families are taking a major hit with this economic down turn,” Jim Horan, Executive Director of the Connecticut Association for Human Services said in a press release. “This report highlights the racial economic disparity in Connecticut.”
In Connecticut:
The percentage of children who live in low-income working families is 19%, ranking the state 3rd.
32 percent of low-income working families are minorities.
Connecticut ranks nearly the worst – 49th – in income inequality when looking at total income in the top income quintile compared to the bottom income quintile.
56 percent of low-income working families do not have any post-secondary education and 21 percent have at least one parent without a high school degree.
70 percent of low-income families have housing costs greater than one-third of income and 27 percent of low-income families do not have health insurance.
