A new method for measuring historical poverty trends: Incorporating geographic differences in the cost of living using the Supplemental Poverty Measure

Q3 Social Sciences

Journal of Economic and Social Measurement Pub Date : 2016-01-01 DOI:10.3233/JEM-160433

Laura B. Nolan, I. Garfinkel, Neeraj Kaushal, Jaehyun Nam, J. Waldfogel, Christopher Wimer

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引用次数: 7

Abstract

The U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently developed a substantially improved measure of poverty, the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). The SPM has only been released since 2009, and prior efforts by researchers to construct a historical SPM time series have not taken into account an essential element of the new measure - geographical differences in the cost of living - which is necessary for accurately describing poverty trends in important demographic and regional subgroups. We build the first historical SPM time series from 1967-2014 that adjusts poverty thresholds for cost of living. We do so bringing together a constellation of data sources - the Current Population Survey, the Decennial Census, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rents, and others. We find that geographically adjusting thresholds increases poverty rates in metro areas, the Western states, and among Latinos, but decreases poverty rates in non-metro areas and in the South. The geographic adjustment of poverty thresholds is an impactful component of the SPM.

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一种衡量历史贫困趋势的新方法:使用补充贫困指标将生活成本的地理差异纳入其中

美国人口普查局和劳工统计局最近制定了一项大幅度改进的贫困衡量标准，即补充贫困衡量标准(SPM)。SPM是2009年才发布的，之前研究人员构建历史SPM时间序列的努力没有考虑到新测量方法的一个基本要素——生活成本的地理差异——这对于准确描述重要人口和区域子群体的贫困趋势是必要的。我们建立了从1967年到2014年的第一个历史SPM时间序列，该序列根据生活成本调整了贫困线。我们汇集了大量的数据来源——当前人口调查、十年一次的人口普查、住房和城市发展部的公平市场租金等。我们发现，地理上调整阈值会增加都市区、西部各州和拉美裔的贫困率，但会降低非都市区和南部的贫困率。贫困线的地理调整是SPM的一个有影响力的组成部分。

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来源期刊

Journal of Economic and Social Measurement Social Sciences-Social Sciences (all)

CiteScore

1.60

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal of Economic and Social Measurement (JESM) is a quarterly journal that is concerned with the investigation of all aspects of production, distribution and use of economic and other societal statistical data, and with the use of computers in that context. JESM publishes articles that consider the statistical methodology of economic and social science measurements. It is concerned with the methods and problems of data distribution, including the design and implementation of data base systems and, more generally, computer software and hardware for distributing and accessing statistical data files. Its focus on computer software also includes the valuation of algorithms and their implementation, assessing the degree to which particular algorithms may yield more or less accurate computed results. It addresses the technical and even legal problems of the collection and use of data, legislation and administrative actions affecting government produced or distributed data files, and similar topics. The journal serves as a forum for the exchange of information and views between data producers and users. In addition, it considers the various uses to which statistical data may be put, particularly to the degree that these uses illustrate or affect the properties of the data. The data considered in JESM are usually economic or social, as mentioned, but this is not a requirement; the editorial policies of JESM do not place a priori restrictions upon the data that might be considered within individual articles. Furthermore, there are no limitations concerning the source of the data.