April 5, 2012 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

"Working poor" rate 7.2 percent in 2010

Poverty status of persons in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 2007–2010
Characteristic	2007	2008	2009	2010
Total persons	146,567,000	147,838,000	147,902,000	146,859,000
In poverty	7,521,000	8,883,000	10,391,000	10,512,000
Working-poor rate (in percent)	5.1	6.0	7.0	7.2

These data are featured in the TED article, "Working poor" rate 7.2 percent in 2010.

Working-poor rate, by sex, work experience, and educational attainment, 2010
Characteristic	Working-poor rate (1)
Total, people in the labor force for 27 or more weeks, 16 years and older	7.2%
Sex
Men	6.7
Women	7.6
Work experience
Usual full-time workers	4.2
Usual part-time workers	15.1
Did not work during the year	35.1
Educational attainment
Bachelor's degree and higher	2.1
Some college or associate's degree	6.4
High school graduates, no college	9.2
Less than high school	21.4
Footnotes: (1) Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 or more weeks.

These data are featured in the TED article, "Working poor" rate 7.2 percent in 2010.

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