Census Data Show Large Jump in Poverty and the Ranks of the Uninsured in 2009

Poverty rose by a large amount in 2009, as 3.7 million more people fell into poverty, according to Arloc Sherman, Danilo Trisi, Robert Greenstein and Matt Broaddus. 3.3 million more people would have become poor had it not been for unemployment insurance benefits, which expanded substantially in response to the increased need. In other words, unemployment benefits kept 3.3 million people out of poverty in 2009.

Article was originally published in Center for Budget and Policy Priorities on 9/17/2010.