The poverty rate increases when unemployment rises: Binned annual state poverty and unemployment rates, 1978–2023, regression-adjusted by year and state
| Unemployment rate | Poverty rate |
|---|---|
| 2.6% | 12.8% |
| 3.0% | 12.9% |
| 3.3% | 13.1% |
| 3.5% | 12.8% |
| 3.7% | 13.2% |
| 3.9% | 13.7% |
| 4.1% | 13.7% |
| 4.3% | 13.8% |
| 4.4% | 13.8% |
| 4.6% | 14.0% |
| 4.8% | 14.3% |
| 4.9% | 14.8% |
| 5.1% | 14.5% |
| 5.2% | 14.8% |
| 5.4% | 15.0% |
| 5.6% | 15.0% |
| 5.7% | 14.9% |
| 5.9% | 15.2% |
| 6.1% | 15.4% |
| 6.3% | 15.6% |
| 6.5% | 15.7% |
| 6.7% | 15.7% |
| 7.0% | 15.9% |
| 7.3% | 16.2% |
| 7.7% | 16.5% |
| 8.0% | 16.7% |
| 8.4% | 16.9% |
| 9.0% | 17.3% |
| 9.9% | 17.3% |
| 11.8% | 18.4% |
Note: Binned scatterplot of state-level official poverty rates on unemployment rates from 1978 through 2023, weighted by average state population ages 16 and over, adjusted for state and year fixed effects.
Source: Poverty rates, unemployment rates, and civilian population levels are taken from the EPI State of Working America Data Library, retrieved May 9, 2025.