Edwin J. Viera, Producer
Friday, October 6, 2023
A new analysis found financial hardship is growing in Connecticut.
United Way of Connecticut's ALICE Report focuses on those who are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, but Employed. It suggested the direct cause of the issues is a disconnect between wages and the cost of basic essentials. The report showed more than half of the most common jobs in the state paid less than $20 an hour, or $40,000 a year, in 2021.
Lisa Tepper Bates, president and CEO of the United Way of Connecticut, said the state has already taken some steps to make life more affordable.
"The legislature and the governor did a terrific job last session when they were able to increase the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which is based on a percentage of the federal EITC or Earned Income Tax Credit," Tepper Bates explained.
The state raised its tax credit to 40% of the federal level but Tepper Bates pointed out it can only do so much. She noted federal programs initiated during the pandemic, like the expanded federal Child Tax Credit, provided some relief for families. A Columbia University study found the Child Tax Credit kept almost 4 million children out of poverty.
The report also showed a retail salesperson in the state has lost buying power due to inflation. Over 15 years, it equals more than $42,000. Tepper Bates pointed out one shocking finding was how quickly prices have increased across the state.
"It is surprising to a lot of people how very fast the cost of living has gone up," Tepper Bates stressed. "The cost of housing in particular, in Connecticut, has started to tick upwards very, very quickly."
A Connecticut Voices for Children report finds inflation growth in rents grew faster than median household income between 2005 and 2021.
get more stories like this via email

Health and Wellness
Advocates for affordable health care are speaking out to remind people what is at stake if the Affordable Care Act is repealed in the wake of recent s…
Social Issues
Roughly one in eight Nebraskans who have experienced hunger is a child. The state has a chance to help their families afford groceries, but must 'opt …
Environment
If you live in a flood prone community, soil health from nearby farmland may have something to do with it. Ag voices in Wisconsin say government-…
Environment
A Virginia group is working out ways to reforest former mines across Appalachia. The state has several hundred thousand acres of mine land, which …
Social Issues
When a Texas woman began her six-year journey to adopt, she hoped to affect one child's life. Felicia Lewis, an adoptive parent, is now making a …
Social Issues
Many parents complete their families through adoption, and November has been the month to encourage awareness, recognize those still waiting to be …
Environment
Wildlife advocates are pushing back on a bill in Congress which would remove federal wilderness protections from some Montana land. There are …
Environment
The Arizona Governor's Office of Resilience and industry leaders discussed clean energy investments in the state at Honeywell's facility in Phoenix Mo…