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Idahoans Continue to See Neighbors Struggling to Make Ends Meet – Are Very Concerned – But Remain Hopeful of Improvement

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Northwest Area Foundation Survey Reveals:
*More than eight in 10 say it takes at least $30,000 annually to care for a family of four.
*More than half say they know people working full time who are struggling to get by, and their priority is to help them.
*Nearly all Idahoans, 88 percent, say elected officials should work to help those struggling to get by.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (April 30, 2007) – A nationwide survey released today by the Northwest Area Foundation reveals half of Americans, including more than half of Idahoans, still perceive “a lot” of people are struggling to make ends meet. Whether it might be plant closings, outsourcing of jobs to other countries, or lack of access to living wage jobs, Idahoans say they are aware of their neighbors’ tough grind. Many of those struggling are working full time. More Idahoans than the national average say they regularly come into contact with people who are struggling to make ends meet. Fifty-one percent say they cross paths with them, whether that would be through church, work, or elsewhere, compared to 45 percent nationally.

“This survey shows us that despite an improving national economy, there are those who are not prospering,” said Karl Stauber, president and CEO of the Northwest Area Foundation, which commissioned the study. “We need to look behind the job growth data to the quality of jobs available. Americans need living-wage jobs in order to meet basic needs, so they’re no longer waging the paycheck-to-paycheck battle that keeps them struggling every week and every month.”

Idahoans’ concern about those struggling to make ends meet comes at a time when nearly 29 percent of all households in the state have an annual income that falls below $25,000. Nearly 9 percent of Idaho workers report holding two or more jobs.

The survey found for the second year in a row a majority of Idahoans, more than eight in 10, have said that it takes at least $30,000 for a family of four to make ends meet. Fifty-five percent agree with the majority of Americans who say it takes at least $40,000, nearly twice the federal poverty threshold of $20,444. The stronger survey results may have to do with an increased sample size of this year’s poll. While the number of national interviews remained the same as the 2005 survey, oversamples in Idaho doubled from 200 to 400.

Hard work doesn’t translate into prosperity
Even in an era of a strong stock market and economic growth, many who are working hard aren’t prospering. Nearly half of Idahoans, 44 percent, say there are a lot of people who are working full-time, yet are still struggling to make ends meet in their community. Fifty-six percent say they know people in their communities who are working two or more jobs and are still struggling to make ends meet. Financial difficulties hit people who are living in all geographic areas – rural, urban, small cities and towns. In Idaho, people living in the city were more likely than those living in the suburbs to report seeing people in their communities struggling to make ends meet.

When asked how much a family of four needs each year to meet basic standards of living in their communities, people across the United States cited slightly higher figures than they did last year: How much income would you say a family of four needs to earn in a year in order to make ends meet in your community?
At least $10,000 1%
At least $20,000 12%
At least $30,000 30%
At least $40,000 32%
More than $40,000 23%
(NOTE: U.S. federal poverty threshold for a family of four in 2006 was $20,444 per year.)

Idahoans willing to take action
A majority of respondents say they are willing to do more, pay more and hold elected officials accountable for helping those who are struggling to make ends meet. "If a family is in an emergency or in need, the community will unite to help them out,” said Jean Bridges, former city council Member, Troy, Idaho. “The unity of the community pulls people through their crises. It's not an ongoing committee – these things happen as the need arises."

This year’s survey found a slight six-point increase in the percentage of Americans who say they keep these issues in mind at the voting booth. Sixty-nine percent in Idaho said they think about how well a candidate would help those struggling to make ends meet.

Expectations for local elected officials
Most Idahoans, 81 percent, say they are satisfied with the way things are going in their communities. Yet, nearly all state residents polled say they believe that elected officials hold a key role in improving conditions for all. Eighty-eight percent say it is important for local elected officials to help people who are struggling to make ends meet.

The survey shows people have clear priorities for their elected officials: good jobs and access to health care remain high on the list. Three-quarters of Idahoans, 76 percent, say attracting and keeping well-paying jobs should be a top priority for their elected officials, while healthcare concerns followed as a close second. Sixty-eight percent say improving access and reducing healthcare costs are a top or very high priority for local elected officials.

Optimism that neighbors will help
At the same time that many Idahoans report seeing people struggling, a majority feels the number of people going through hard times can be reduced. Many perceive that their neighbors are willing to help those struggling to make ends meet. Idahoans would be more likely than the national average to do at least one of the following items in the future:

How likely would you be to:

Join with others in your community to discuss ways to help those struggling to make ends meet:
National 73%
Idaho 75%

Take part in a church project to help people struggling to make ends meet:
National 82%
Idaho 76%

Adopt a family in need to help them from time to time:
National 65%
Idaho 69%

Pay $50 more a year in taxes if it would go to programs in your own community that help people struggling to make ends meet:
National 64%
Idaho 62%

Talk to elected officials in your community about people’s struggle to make ends meet:
National 69%
Idaho 65%

Further, Idahoans are optimistic about the ability of people in their communities to reduce the number of people who are struggling to make ends meet. This optimism may stem from the belief that there are many capable people with valuable skills in the community. More than a quarter, 28 percent, believes the number of people struggling could be reduced a lot. Half, 53 percent, of respondents say their community effectively deals with local problems (always or most of the time).

The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to helping communities reduce poverty for the long term. The Foundation works on strategic efforts with a small number of rural, urban, and American Indian reservation communities, and the organizations supporting these efforts, in its eight-state region: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. These states were served by the Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill. In 1934, Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill established the Foundation. Since 1999, the Foundation has invested approximately $193 million in community-based poverty-reduction programs. It expects to invest an estimated additional $75 million within the next two years, at which time it will have completed its first 10 years of operation under a community-based program model. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests.

The Northwest Area Foundation commissioned Lake Research Partners (LRP) to conduct a national tracking survey to explore the public’s perception of poverty in one’s own community, attitudes toward the roles of local elected officials, and ways in which to address the issue. The survey was conducted among 4,000 Americans age 18 and older, from March 2-22, 2007. A total of 800 interviews were conducted nationally, and oversamples of 400 were conducted in each of the following eight states: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The oversamples were weighted down to reflect their true proportion in the country. The margin of error is +/-3.5 percentage points for the national results and +/-5.0 points for the state results. This is the second survey of its kind, replicating a study Northwest Area Foundation and LRP conducted in December 2005.