EMPLOYED BUT IN NEED

Poverty doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet ALICE®.

39% or almost 2 in 5 households in our seven-county region are living in poverty or working, yet still struggling to afford basic necessities.


  • 2 in 5

    HOUSEHOLDS EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL HARDSHIP

    509,404 Total Households

    Across our 7-County region
    201,390 Households

    Experiencing financial
    hardship in our region
    Nearly 40%

    Of all households are
    struggling to make ends meet

    This is based on the latest data from the United for ALICE® report which stands for: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE® households are working but work alone is not always enough to achieve financial stability in today’s economy.

ASSET LIMITED

 Households experiencing ALICE are living paycheck to paycheck. They don’t have the luxury of saving money or investing because the money they do earn goes entirely to their cost-of-living expenses.

INCOME CONSTRAINED

 Though individuals who fall under this category live above the federal poverty level, they still do not earn an income to afford necessities like housing, food, transportation, technology, child care, and health care.

EMPLOYED

 These individuals are actively employed, sometimes holding more than one job to ensure they are able to put food on the table for their household.

FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL + ALICE =
A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE OF FINANCIAL HARDSHIP

              • Poverty remains an important measure
              • Many families struggle despite earning above poverty guidelines
              • Traditional poverty measures miss a significant number of households

 

 

WHO IS ALICE?

Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed

  • ALICE has no safety net in times of crisis.

  • ALICE's income falls short of essentials.

  • ALICE is working, yet not earning enough.

ALICE® households consist of child care providers, manufacturing workers, retail employees, hospitality workers, transportation and warehouse workers, and more. 

Poverty remains an important measure, yet many families struggle despite earning above the traditional federal poverty level.

  • ALICE Households Are:

    • Working
    • Earning income
    • Contributing to our community
    • X – Consistently able to afford basic necessities

  • ALICE Is A...

    • Child care provider
    • Manufacturing worker
    • Retail employee
    • Hospitality worker
    • Transportation & warehouse worker

ALICE AND THE ASSISTANCE GAP

Too Much Income For Assistance. Too Little Income For Stability.

  • May Earn Above Eligibility Thresholds For

    • SNAP
    • WIC
    • Medicaid
    • HUD Housing Assistance
    • Child Care Assistance

  • Yet Still Struggle To Afford

    • Housing
    • Child Care
    • Food
    • Transportation
    • Health Care

POVERTY ➞ ASSISTANCE ELIGIBILITY ➞
ALICE ➞ FINANCIAL STABILITY

ALICE® IS WORKING

Most ALICE® households are already participating in the workforce. The challenge is not willingness to work — it’s that wages in many essential industries have not kept pace with the true cost of living.
​

Median Wages in Common ALICE Industries​

  • Manufacturing

    $15.49/hr

  • Health Care & Social Assistance

    $14.53/hr

  • Transportation & Warehousing

    $14.21/hr

  • Retail Trade

    $11.88/hr

  • Accommodation & Food Service

    $11.52/hr

Metro United Way’s region consists of seven counties.
Here are the ALICE® threshold numbers for each area:  

WHAT IT COSTS TO LIVE IN OUR REGION

Family of four with two children in child care.

  • Bullitt County, KY

    $86,796

  • Clark County, IN

    $80,220

  • Floyd County, IN

    $80,124

  • Harrison County, IN

    $77,460

  • Jefferson County, KY

    $88,284

  • Oldham County, KY

    $89,772

  • Shelby County, KY

    $83,724

SURVIVAL BUDGET: WHAT DOES IT COST TO AFFORD THE NECESSITIES IN GREATER LOUISVILLE?

ALICE® IN THE WORKFORCE

Many of Kentucky’s essential workers provide services we rely on every day, yet their wages often fall short of what is required to meet basic household needs.

Employment sectors in Kentucky with highest ALICE® workforce:
Occupation
% Below ALICE® Threshold
Median Hourly Wage
Cooks 52% $11.71
Cashiers 48% $14.64
Waiters & Waitresses 44% $11.71
Personal Care Aides 39% $16.25
Nursing Assistants 36% $17.57
Retail Salespersons 36% $19.52
Janitors & Building Cleaners 36% $17.57
Customer Service Representatives 30% $19.52

HOW METRO UNITED WAY WORKS

Serving families struggling now — and changing the systems behind it

LEARN MORE AND GET INVOLVED

Are you one of the 2 in 5 in need?

Call 211 today or visit metrounitedway.org/get-help-now

 

Data Sources:

Sources: United For ALICE® Kentucky Report; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey; Metro United Way analysis. 

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