The state of Michigan, which is a predominantly White state, currently populates many people who fall under the national poverty threshold. Hence, according to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), nearly 1.4 million locals now fall into the poverty category, but more than 4 million residents find themselves extremely close to the poverty threshold. Thus, instead of struggling with poverty due to a disability or a lack of qualification, the majority of the poor White population of the state consists of working-class individuals whose salaries cannot secure access to proper housing, nutrition, clothing, and childcare (LEO). For this reason, the poor population of the state requires at least two working adults in the family who bring steady income, as otherwise, poverty becomes inevitable.
However, this issue is not unique to the White demographic group. Every challenge and risk faced by the poor White community is more dangerous for other ethnic groups. Unfortunately, despite the existing progress in terms of labor equality among all social groups, ethnic minorities still tend to experience a gap in wages paid to White and non-White employees. As a result, the struggle to afford proper housing, food, health care, transportation, and technology becomes even more severe for the demographic groups who come from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The issue of insufficient salary rates in relation to the minimum living standards in minority groups is prevalent not only in Michigan but in every US state. Hence, in order to eliminate the problem for both White and minority groups on the verge of poverty or below the poverty threshold, the governments need to develop a framework for supporting the working class and increasing their social welfare levels by implementing financial incentives and raising minimum wages for the population.
Work Cited
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. “Michigan Poverty Task Force.” LEO, 2022, Web.