Ranks of poor, uninsured rise for third year
The ranks of the poor and those without health insurance grew in 2003 for the third straight year. Those trends, spelled out last week by the U.S. Census Bureau signaled a clear and troubling shift in the way poverty has spread across the country. The number of poor Americans leapt by 1.3 million to 35.9 million. That's an increase from 12.1 percent to 12.5 percent. Most of the increase 733,000 -- was among children. California alone has accounted for all of the net national increase of 890,000 in the number of children in poverty since the late 1970's.
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