2010 U.S. poverty rate highest since 1993

UPI:  WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. poverty rate climbed to 15.1 percent in 2010, the highest since 1993, and the third straight year of increases, the U.S. Census Bureau said Tuesday.

That translates to 46.2 million people in poverty, the highest number in the 52 years for which estimates are available, up from 14.3 percent, or 43.6 million people, in 2009. But the bureau said the poverty rate fell 7.3 points shy of that of 1959.

The family poverty rate climbed to 11.7 percent, or 9.2 million, in 2010 from 11.1 percent, or 8.8 million, the previous year.

For children under 18, the poverty rate rose from 20.7 percent, or 15.5 million, in 2009 to 22 percent, or 16.4 million, in 2010.

Median household income adjusted for inflation fell 2.3 percent in 2010 compared with the previous year, to $49,445.

The number of people without health insurance rose from 49 million in 2009 to 49.9 million in 2010 but the rate, 16.3 percent, was not statistically different.

The latest statistics cover the first full calendar year since the end of the recession, from December 2007 to June 2009.

Since 2007, the bureau said, median household income has declined 6.4 percent and is 7.1 percent below the peak before the 1999-2001 recession.

Median income adjusted for inflation for women working full-time, year-round was 77 percent of that for men in 2010, not statistically different from 2009.