The most recent ALICE Report, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed from the United Way indicates more than half of Louisiana households are struggling to make ends meet. President of the Louisiana Association of United Ways, Sarah Berthelot said the Bayou State ranks second in the country, just behind Mississippi…
“As having the highest number of families living below a basic survival budget,” said Berthelot.
In 2021 the ALICE Household Survival Budget for a working family of four was $66,288, far above the Federal Poverty Level of $26,500. Berthelot said that would mean wage earners in a household of four would need $33 an hour to meet household expenses, yet 70% of the state’s most common jobs pay less than $20 an hour.
Berthelot said stagnant wages and inflation are to blame.
“But things are a little bit more challenging for us, a lot more challenging because when you overlay the pandemic and the series of natural disasters that our state has faced, it’s been really tough,” said Berthelot.
Berthelot said so many families are working extremely hard to pay their expenses but the 11% increase in inflation is making it extremely difficult and so many families were forced to dip into their savings during the pandemic.
“And the economic aid that was available during the pandemic and even FEMA aid, during the hurricanes or natural disaster events, those are concluding,” said Berthelot.
The view the ALICE report, click here.
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