miscellany

“The U.S. is 1 of only 4 countries in the world where the maternal mortality rate is rising.” @scottsantens https://t.co/yCam1aoU84

— George Atherton (@notrehta) October 24, 2017

The State of the Union: 2015

• Whereas each generation used to be better off than the previous generation, that is no longer the case.
• Child poverty is the highest it’s been in 20 years.
• The U.S. is 1 of only 4 countries in the world where the maternal mortality rate is rising instead of falling.
• Sixty years ago, the U.S. had the 12th lowest infant mortality rate in the world. By 1990, we were 23rd. By 2008, we were 34th. We are now 49th.
• The 40-hour work week is gone, to the detriment of productivity. We work an average equivalent of 6 to 8 more weeks per year than a generation go, with worse results.
• The American middle class has not seen a raise in 15 years.
• Our middle class is 20% poorer than it was 30 years ago.
• Middle class families are increasingly spending more on basic needs while earning less.
• For the first time in over 50 years, the majority of our public school children are poor.
• Our poorest 20% would now be better off in 10 other countries.
• Over 40% of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck, so savings are practically nonexistent amongst any but the richest.
• More than 1 in 3 Americans have debts and unpaid bills that have been reported to debt collectors.
• Hunger among seniors is up 81% since 2006.
• The gap between those who eat well and those who don’t has doubled in 10 years.
• Food banks are now helping more than 46 million Americans to eat, and are overstretched to the point that 1 in 6 is expected to fail.
• We are losing entrepreneurs. New business creation has gone from 13% to under 8% in the last 30 years.