pcrossley@sungazette.com
The story of someone living in the category of Access Limited, Income Constrained, Employed might be yours.
Or it could be your elderly neighbor’s story or the person who hands you food at your favorite fast food establishment.
There are so many variations of who might have an income just above the poverty level, while employed, but that person still struggles to meet even the bare minimum cost of basic household needs.
And that was before COVID-19 hit last year.
In Lycoming County with 44,585 households or a population of 113,664, the median household income is $55,045 compared to the state average of $60,905. Of those households, 24 percent are in the Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed category and 14 percent are in the poverty level.
Over 1.3 million Pennsylvania households, or 27 percent, were already struggling financially when COVID-19 hit last year, according to Kristen Rotz, president o
Nate Smallwood | Tribune-Review
Jennifer Berrier, deputy of secretary for Safety and Labor-Management Relations, speaks during a Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee public hearing on wage growth in Braddock in January 2019.
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Officials urged out-of-work Pennsylvanians to seek assistance through a variety of programs that can augment unemployment assistance as many face new economic challenges during the covid-19 pandemic.
“The first thing that people think of when they lose their job or they have reduced hours at their place of employment is unemployment compensation, which is understandable,” Department of Labor and Industry Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier said. “However, there’s other forms of assistance out there, which is why the Department of Labor and Industry is working with our partners to make sure that out-of-work Pennsylvanians
L&I pleased by stimulus, touts other assistance observer-reporter.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from observer-reporter.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.