Census reports grim economic status for N.C.

Reports released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau have shed light on the growing economic problems that affect North Carolina residents, particularly children. The state is one of just seven nationwide to see a rise in the poverty rate and one of 10 states in which the median household income declined.

Data from the American Community Survey and the Current Population Survey, released Thursday by the Census Bureau, showed that 15 percent of North Carolinians are living under the poverty line, compared with 13.4 percent last year. Although the cities of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill are not as severely afflicted, 11.1 percent of people in the Triangle are living in poverty. Only two states—Nevada and South Dakota—saw a greater increase than North Carolina in the number of people classified as poor.

The reports also show that North Carolina’s children have been hit hard by the nation’s economic downturn, with 22.5 percent of the state’s children under the age of five living below the poverty level. This is a particularly troublesome problem for the state, some experts say.

“Surprisingly, [children] are poorer than average and they’re even more poor when they’re really young,” said Carol Spruill, an associate dean at the Duke School of Law. “Their parents are poorer because most people tend to make more money as they go further in [their careers].” She added that because childcare is so expensive, and the cost becomes a burden early in parents’ careers, there is no “social safety net” for poorer people to stay at home with their children.

The amount of money that North Carolina residents are bringing in, on average, also slipped. The median household income in North Carolina fell by $1,189 from Fiscal Year 2001-02 to FY 2002-03—a drop of 3.1 percent to $37,315. The median household income in the Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill metropolitan area, however, was comparatively higher at $46,887.

“The new jobs are just not paying enough to raise families out of poverty,” Sorien Schmidt, legislative director for the North Carolina Justice Center, said in a prepared statement. “There are programs intended to help poor children and some low-income adults, but they are not funded adequately to meet this level of need.” Schmidt, whose organization’s mission is to reduce and ultimately eliminate poverty in North Carolina, added that 25,000 children are waiting for child-care subsidies.

As child poverty has been rising, participation in state programs to aid the poor has also grown. Enrollment in the state’s food stamp programs has increased 33 percent in the past 2.5 years, said Lois Nilsen, a public information officer for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Spruill, who is the associate dean for public interest in pro bono work, has taught a class about poverty law since 1994. Through community service work and legal aid opportunities, she said she hopes to help her students and colleagues reach a greater awareness of the problem of modern poverty.