New study spotlights financial challenges faced by many Jackson County residents

Nearly 25,000 households in Jackson County, including more than 14,000 households earning above the federal poverty level, are struggling to make ends meet, according to a recent report issued by Rutgers University and released through United Way of Jackson County. The report, "ALICE - Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed; Study of Financial Hardship" spotlights a large population of hard-working residents in Michigan who are struggling financially, and why. The study was made possible through the generous support of Consumers Energy. Some 14,162 households in Jackson County, or 23 percent of all households, meet the definition of ALICE, earning more than the U.S. poverty level but less than the basic cost of living (i.e., $17,278 per year for a single adult, $50,280 for a family with two preschool children). Another 10,607 households land below the federal poverty level. In all, 24,769 Jackson County households, or 41 percent, fall short of the ALICE threshold. "These are people who are working hard yet are one emergency from falling behind financially," said Ken Toll, President and CEO of United Way of Jackson County. Examples of ALICE are diverse, Toll said, ranging from working college graduates who can't afford to live on their own to young families strapped by child care costs and mid-career professionals who are under-employed. ALICEs may be forced to make choices that compromise health and safety in order to make ends meet, putting both them and the wider community at risk of long-term societal and economic repercussions. "The more people who struggle to become financially stable, the harder it is for our community and our state to regain its economic strength," said Toll. Statewide, 40 percent of working Michigan households don't make enough to reach the basic survival threshold, according to the ALICE report. Toll stressed that the ALICE Report isn't intended as a political platform, but rather as a starting point for community dialogue to develop effective, long-lasting solutions. "The data in this report are clear," he said. "It's up to all of us, working together, to determine what we do with the information and what actions we take." Published: Mon, Nov 24, 2014