By Veronica Goodman
Today’s U.S. Census Bureau Supplemental Poverty Measure release for 2020 underscores that despite COVID-19 and high unemployment, government support kept millions from falling into poverty over the past year. The poverty rate that takes into account government aid fell to 9.1% from the SPM rate of 11.8% in 2019. According to the authors, this is the lowest rate since estimates were initially published for 2009.
The stimulus checks moved an estimated 11.7 million individuals out of poverty and Unemployment Insurance prevented 5.1 million from falling into poverty. Notably, poverty decreased across all ages, races and ethnicities, and educational attainment levels.
Source: Census Bureau
