The poverty rate in the United States has reached its highest level since 1965

The poverty rate in the United States has reached its highest level since 1965. Economists, scholars and think tankers all expect that the Census Bureau will release the 2011...

The poverty rate in the United States has reached its highest level since 1965 in November this year Economists, academics and think tankers expect the official U.S. poverty rate for 2011 to rise to its highest level since 1965 when the Census Bureau releases it in November. Liberal, independent, and conservative experts all agree that the poverty rate will start at 15.1 percent in 2010 and rise to as high as 15.7 percent. If the poverty rate only increased to 15.2%, it would be the same as the poverty rate in 1983 and the highest poverty rate since 1965. The highest poverty rate ever recorded was 22.4%, set in 1959. The poverty level in 2010 was $22,314 for a family of four and $11,139 for an individual. This only includes cash receipts before taxes. It does not include capital gains or accumulated wealth, such as home ownership, and non-cash assistance, such as food stamps and tax credits. Tax credits have been significantly expanded under President Obama's economic stimulus plan. In January, research from Indiana University predicted that poverty in the United States would continue to rise, in part because old jobs are being replaced by new, lower-wage ones and because states are cutting their welfare budgets.