Slow Tide, Sinking Boats: Economic data tells troubling story

Earlier this week the Denver Post had an article about conflicting county-level economic data, that showed while unemployment fell in some areas, poverty rose.

This is similar to what COFPI found in the Censusu poverty data that was released in August, for the years leading up to 2007. It was the first economic cycle where low- and middle-income people were worse off at the end of it, than at the beginning.

There are numerous factors for why poverty would rise as unemployment falls, but some of the key issues are stagnant or declining wages, businesses offering fewer benefits, and more employers dropping health care coverage.

The article also touches on the broader issue of income inequality. Check out this report from earlier this year to find out more about the income gap.