Reading Between The Numbers

Poverty in the U.S. is not confined to the unemployed. Just look at the numbers: A full-time worker at the federal minimum wage ($3.80 an hour) earns $7,904 before taxes. That's enough to lift a single person above the poverty line of $6,280. But if the worker has one or more children to support, no such luck. This year, the poverty line for a family of two is $8,420 and for a family of three is $10,560. (From Hunger Action Forum, P.O. Box 789, San Francisco, CA 94101)