Volume 36, Number 2 (Spring) 2001
Iceland, John, Kathleen Short, Thesia I. Garner, and David Johnson. 2001. "Are Children Worse Off? Evaluating Well-Being Using a New (and Improved) Measure of Poverty." Journal of Human Resources 36(2):398-412.
Although child poverty rates continue to surpass those of others, there is growing consensus that current official poverty measure has become outdated and flawed. Using data from the Current Population Survey and the Survey of Income and program Participation, we implement an experimental poverty measure based on recommendations by a national Academy of Sciences panel. We find that while child poverty rates continue to surpass those of others, the gap between child and adult poverty rates is smaller under the experimental measure. Results highlight the impact of noncash government benefits and the Earned Income Tax Credit in reducing child poverty.
John Iceland and Kathleen Short are researchers at the U.S. Census Bureau. Thesia I. Garner and David Johnson are research economists at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Public-use versions of the survey data analyzed here are available from the U.S. Census Bureau, Direct all correspondence and questions about the analysis to John Iceland, HHES Division, Building 3, Room 1472, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, D.C. 20233-8500, jiceland@census.gov . This paper reports the results of research and analysis undertaken by Census Bureau and Bureau of Statistics staff. It has undergone a more limited review than official Census Bureau publications. This report is released to inform interested parties of research and to encourage discussion. The authors would like to thank Jeff Sisson and anonymous reviewers for their contributions to this article.
© 2002 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
US ISSN 0022-166X