New Census Data Shows Failure and Success of Pennsylvania Public Policy
Originally published at Pennsylvania Policy Center on October 31, 2024. The annual release of census data is often a guide to policy success and failure at both the national and state levels. This year is no exception. The American Community Survey data released yesterday shows that Pennsylvania’s failure to raise the minimum wage has led to our state falling behind the rest of the nation in measures of poverty and household income. But our early participation in the Medicaid expansion, along with new federal subsidies in the health care insurance marketplace has led to a reduction in the percentage of people uninsured in our state. Poverty data points to the continuing failure of Pennsylvania to raise the minimum wage. The standard poverty rate in the United States fell from 11.5% to 11.1% between 2022 and 2023. But it rose slightly in Pennsylvania from 11.8% to 12% although that increase was… Continue reading
