In 2020, 37.2 million people, or 11.4 percent of the nation’s population, lived below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. With many Americans considered the working poor, it’s important to consider why so many can’t get out of poverty. The reality is that it is extremely difficult to escape the cycle when the system is inequitable.
The working poor face a number of challenges that often go unnoticed or are misunderstood. These barriers aren’t always immediately obvious, but they can have a profound impact on their ability to break free from poverty. Here are five hidden barriers that quietly punish the working poor.
