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Census: 1 in 6 Americans living in poverty

WASHINGTON -- The ranks of the nation's poor have swelled to a record 46.2 million, or nearly 1 in 6 Americans, as the prolonged pain of the recession leaves millions still struggling and out of work. And the number without health insurance has reached 49.9 million, the most in more than two decades.

The new Census Bureau figures don't paint a much better picture for Nevada, where the poverty rate climbed to 16.4 percent, almost double the 2000 rate, and the percentage of uninsured ranked third-worst in the nation.

The Census Bureau report released Tuesday offers a somber snapshot of the economic well-being of U.S. households for last year when joblessness hovered above 9 percent for a second year. The rate is still 9.1 percent at the start of an election year that is sure to focus on the economy and President Barack Obama's stewardship of it.

The overall poverty rate climbed to 15.1 percent, from 14.3 percent the previous year, and the rate from 2007-2010 rose faster than for any similar period since the early 1980s when a crippling energy crisis amid government cutbacks contributed to inflation, spiraling interest rates and unemployment. For last year, the official poverty level was an annual income of $22,314 for a family of four.

Measured by total numbers, the 46 million now living in poverty are the most on record dating to when the Census Bureau began tracking it in 1959. The 15.1 percent tied the level of 1993 and was the highest since 1983.

Broken down by state, Mississippi had the highest share of poor people, at 22.7 percent, according to calculations by the Census Bureau. It was followed by Louisiana, the District of Columbia, Georgia, New Mexico and Arizona. On the other end of the scale, New Hampshire had the lowest share, at 6.6 percent.

Nevada's poverty rate ranked 38th, thanks to a recent surge that propelled it from 10.8 percent in 2008 to 16.4 percent last year.

The share of Americans without health coverage rose from 16.1 percent to 16.3 percent, or 49.9 million people, according to Census Bureau revisions. The increase was mostly because of continued losses of employer-provided health insurance in the weakened economy.

More than 1 in 5 Nevadans have no health insurance, ranking No. 48 in the country.

Congress passed a health overhaul last year to address rising numbers of the uninsured. While the main provisions don't take effect until 2014, one aspect taking effect in late 2010 allowed young adults to be covered under their parents' health insurance until age 26.

The uninsured rate for adults 18 to 24 declined last year, from 29.3 percent to 27.2 percent, said Brett O'Hara, chief of the Health and Disability Statistics branch at the Census Bureau. That was the only age group that posted a decrease, and he said " the law change certainly could be a factor."

For last year, the median, or midpoint, household income was $49,445, down 2.3 percent from 2009.

Nevada's median income of $51,525 was the lone bright spot in the new report. That figure ranked 20th in the nation, but that was down from 15th in 2000.

The poor include Nekisha Brooks, 28, of Fort Washington, Md., who lost her job as a customer service representative for AT&T several months ago in a round of layoffs. Raising five children, she is now on food stamps and partly leaning on friends and family for help.

"It's hard on the kids," Brooks said, describing how her family has had to cut back on clothing and restaurant outings. "I've been putting in job applications every day and calling around, from housekeeping to customer service to admin or waitresses, but nobody seems to be hiring right now."

Bruce Meyer, a public policy professor at the University of Chicago, cautioned that the worst may be yet to come in poverty levels, citing in part continued rising demand for food stamps this year and "staggeringly high" numbers in those unemployed for more than 26 weeks. He said that more than 6 million people are in the category of long-term unemployed and more likely to fall into poverty, accounting for more than two out of five currently out of work.

The latest numbers, which cover Obama's second year in office, offer political fodder for both parties as Obama seeks to push a new $447 billion plan for creating jobs and stimulating the economy. The plan includes a proposed Social Security payroll tax cut and an extension of unemployment benefits.

Obama is urging Congress to pay for the new spending largely by increasing taxes on the wealthy, which Republicans have rejected.

On Tuesday, the Census Bureau noted the effect of government safety-net programs on the poor. It estimated that new unemployment benefits passed in 2009 -- which gave workers up to 99 weeks of payments after layoffs, and didn't run out for most people until this year -- lifted 3.2 million above the poverty line. Social Security kept about 20.3 million, seniors and working-age adults receiving disability payments, out of poverty.

"If these programs are cut back in the future, poverty rates are likely to rise even more," Meyer said.

At the same time, the working-age population, ages 18 to 64, showed some of the biggest hits in poverty, rising from 12.9 percent to 13.7 percent. Working-age Americans now represent nearly 3 out of 5 poor people and are at the highest level since the 1960s when the war on poverty was launched.

Last year saw a third year of increases in Americans without health insurance, lifting the total number to the highest since the government began tracking the figures in 1987.

The number of people covered by employment-based health plans declined from 170.8 million to 169.3 million, but those losses were partially offset by gains in government health insurance such as Medicaid and Medicare.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal contributed to this report.

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