1 in 3 Workers in the Country’s Most Common Jobs Struggle to Get By
New research zeroes in on households living paycheck to paycheck, yet often with income that’s too high for assistance
In 2023, 33% of workers in the 20 most common jobs nationwide lived in households that couldn’t afford basics, according to new data from United For ALICE, a U.S. research organization driving solutions to financial hardship from headquarters in New Jersey. These workers – the backbone of every community – include personal care aides, janitors, cashiers and waiters and waitresses.
The State of ALICE in the United States reveals that traditional measures of poverty have severely undercounted the number of households that are living in financial hardship. While 13% of all households in the country lived in poverty in 2023, the new research shows that 29% – more than twice as many – were ALICE. Combined, 42% of U.S. households fell below the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival in 2023, up from 41% in 2021.
ALICE households bring in less than the basic costs of housing, child care, food, transportation, health care and technology, plus taxes. Yet because their income is above the Federal Poverty Level, they often don’t qualify for assistance.
“When we underestimate how many households are struggling, we underestimate what it truly takes to build thriving communities,” said United For ALICE President Kiran Handa Gaudioso. “This means entire families and essential workers may be overlooked for support, left without the resources they need to stay healthy, achieve financial stability and reach their fullest potential. That’s a loss not just for ALICE, but for all of us.”
The crux of the struggle for ALICE families is the gap between wages and expenses. For example, in 2023, a family of four in Duval County, Florida – where the cost of basics was near the national average – needed $87,888 annually just to cover the essentials. That’s nearly three times the Federal Poverty Level of $30,000. Yet even with both parents working full time in two of Florida’s most common jobs – a personal care aide and a stock worker/order filler – this family’s combined income still fell short of the cost of basics, including child care for two children, by more than $21,000.
The State of ALICE in the United States also reveals that in 2023:
- Financial hardship was more prevalent across some U.S. regions than others. In the South, 44% of households struggled to make ends meet. The rate was slightly lower in the West and the Northeast, each at 43%, and the Midwest was the lowest at 38%.
- Some groups face financial hardship at disproportionate rates, with 67% of the youngest (under age 25) and 52% of the oldest (age 65+) households falling below the ALICE Threshold, compared with 37% of households headed by someone age 25-44.
- Housing continues to be an obstacle for struggling families. Among households below the ALICE Threshold in the nation, 70% of households that rented and 53% of those that owned were rent and housing burdened, respectively – meaning they paid 30% or more of their income on rent and housing costs.
“ALICE families are especially vulnerable during natural disasters and times of economic uncertainty and yet often feel unseen or left behind,” said Stephanie Hoopes, Ph.D., National Director at United For ALICE. “By providing a name and a way to quantify these households, we’re equipping communities with the data to build solutions that offer better choices and real pathways to stability.”
