The Impact of Rising Poverty on the Nation's Young Families and Their Children, 2000 – 2010

Release Date: September 29, 2011
File Size: 118 KB
File Format: pdf
Download Document

The increase in poverty since the onset of the Great Recession in late 2007 has been most severe among the nation's youngest families (those headed by an adult under 30 years old), according to Northeastern University Economics Professor Andy Sum. Sum, director of the Center for Labor Market Studies, explains young families with one or more young children present in the home were the worst hit by the recession. Among young families with children in the home, close to two out of three families were found to be low income.

About the Author

Andrew M. Sum is a professor of economics and the director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston. He has produced research on the labor market and workforce development on the local, state and national level for the past 40 years focusing on the experiences of teens, young adults, blue collar workers and older workers. His most recent research has focused on what he calls "The Lost Decade," and how the last ten years, including "The Great Recession," has seriously harmed young workers and young families with children.