Figure ECON 5. Percentage of Poverty Spells for Individuals Entering Poverty During the 1993 and 1996 SIPP Panels, by Length of Spell
Source: Unpublished data from the SIPP, 1993 and 1996 panels.
- About half of all poverty spells that began during the 1996 SIPP panel ended within four months, and 80 percent ended within one year. Only 11 percent of all such spells were longer than 20 months.
- Spells of poverty that began between 1993 and 1995 were slightly longer; 47 percent ended within four months and 16 percent were longer than 20 months.
- Poverty spells among adults age 65 and older were more likely to last longer than 20 months (17 percent) than spells among other age groups, as shown in Table ECON 5a.
Table ECON 5a. Percentage of Poverty Spells for Individuals Entering Poverty During the 1996 SIPP Panel, by Length of Spell, Race/Ethnicity, and Age
Spells <=4 Months | Spells 5-12 Months | Spells 13-20 Months | Spells >20 Months | |
---|---|---|---|---|
All Persons | 51.3 | 29.0 | 8.3 | 11.4 |
Racial/Ethnic Categories | 51.3 | 29.0 | 8.3 | 11.4 |
Non-Hispanic White | 54.6 | 28.1 | 7.6 | 9.7 |
Non-Hispanic Black | 45.5 | 27.7 | 10.1 | 16.7 |
Hispanic | 46.8 | 32.9 | 8.6 | 11.7 |
Age Categories | ||||
Ages 0 to 5 Years | 46.8 | 29.6 | 10.8 | 12.9 |
Ages 6 to 10 Years | 47.1 | 29.7 | 9.2 | 14.0 |
Ages 11 to 15 Years | 49.5 | 30.9 | 7.9 | 11.7 |
Women Ages 16-64 years | 50.7 | 29.3 | 8.5 | 11.5 |
Men Ages 16-64 Years | 55.7 | 28.9 | 7.0 | 8.4 |
Adults Age 65 Years and Older | 51.1 | 23.8 | 7.7 | 17.4 |
Note: Spell length categories are not mutually exclusive. Spells separated by only 1 month are not considered separate spells. Due to the length of the observation period, actual spell lengths for spells that lasted more than 20 months cannot be observed.
Persons of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any race. Due to small sample size, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asians and Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders are included in the total for all persons but are not shown separately.
Source: Unpublished data from the SIPP, 1996 panel.
Table ECON 5b Percentage of Poverty Spells for Individuals Entering Poverty During the 1993 and 1996 SIPP Panels, by Length of Spell and Year
Spells <=4 Months | Spells 5-12 Months | Spells 13-20 Months | Spells >20 Months | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1993 Panel All Persons | 47.3 | 28.1 | 8.9 | 15.7 |
1996 Panel All Persons | 51.3 | 29.0 | 8.3 | 11.4 |
Source: Unpublished data from the SIPP, 1993 and 1996 panels.
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