Brief 2020 Poverty Projections
Subtitle
Initial US Policy Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Economic Effects Is Projected to Blunt the Rise in Annual Poverty
Linda Giannarelli, Laura Wheaton, Gregory Acs
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To inform federal and state decisions about policies to mitigate material hardship created by the current economic and public health crises, Urban is using its Analysis of Transfers, Taxes, and Income Security (ATTIS) microsimulation model to project poverty rates for 2020. We project that without the current COVID response policies in place (no stimulus checks, and no expansions to SNAP or unemployment benefits beyond what would normally have occurred), the 2020 annual poverty rate will be 12.4 percent (39.5 million people in poverty, using our definition). The policy response lowers projected poverty to 9.2 percent (29.3 million people), more than 3 points lower than it otherwise would have been. We also present findings by demographic subgroups, and by state.

Research Areas Social safety net
Tags Poverty Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Unemployment and unemployment insurance From Safety Net to Solid Ground Hunger and food assistance
Policy Centers Income and Benefits Policy Center
Research Methods ATTIS Microsimulation Model
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