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Kim Johnson ReportingIn today's economy a job doesn't necessarily mean you have escaped poverty. The number of the so-called "working poor" continues to rise.
For the fourth straight year, Utah Issues, a poverty research group, has provided a statistical snapshot of poverty in Utah. It says from 2001 to 2002 the number of poor Utahns increased eight percent.
In fact Utah was one of only nine states that experienced a significant rise in poverty that year. Researchers attribute that increase to the sluggish economy of the last three years, and say working families have been hit especially hard.
Sarah Wilhelm, Fiscal Policy Analyst, Utah Issues: “Those that are in poverty typically come from families that are working. They come from two-parent household families that are white.”
Wilhelm says they are "functionally poor", in that these families work and earn wages, but not enough to provide the basic necessities of life. She also says her research shows a growing number of Utahns who are economically insecure.
Sarah Wilhelm: “There are a whole bunch of families that don't consider themselves poor, but are really one job loss, one medical emergency, one divorce away from poverty themselves."
Beyond all the statistics, there is a human side to the story.
Curtis Olsen has more time to spend with his family than he wants. Three years ago the computer engineer was making a good living and about to purchase his first home, when the high tech bubble burst. He was let go and hasn't found a good paying job since.
Curtis Olsen: “It’s brutal is what it is. It’s hard. It’s just a difficult situation to be in. You struggle with stress, anxiety all the time, and the rejection.”
Olsen works odd jobs to provide for his wife and five children.
Curtis Olsen: “It’s not steady, not enough to make ends meet. If it weren’t for the support of family and friends at this time, we’d be hurting pretty bad.”
Even though Curtis cannot quite provide all the necessities his family needs, he is not considered poor, at least not officially.
The federal government defines the "officially poor" as a family of four earning less than $18,400 a year. According to this report, Utah has 200,000 residents that fit that definition.
But the report also says there are twice that number of "functionally poor" Utahns -- people who come from working families that don't earn enough to provide the basic necessities of daily living. Researchers say another 20 percent of Utahns are asset poor, meaning they don't have enough net worth to survive for three months without income.
Curtis Olsen is even closer to poverty's edge and after three years of struggling to survive, he's hoping his luck changes soon.
Curtis Olsen: "If something bad happens we're going to be in a very bad way. If something good happens we'll just pop right out and be back on our feet, and moving along."
Curtis will earn a business degree from the University of Phoenix next month.
