Recession hitting low/middle class hard
(NEWSCHANNEL 3) - A new report shows the recession is hitting middle class and low-income families the hardest.
That census data says the gap between the richest and poorest Americans is getting wider.
Household incomes dropped for all levels, but it was a sharper decline for those at the bottom of the economic ladder.
Researchers say while the wealthiest Americans are seeing a drop in executive pay, many folks making less money are losing their jobs completely and now struggling to get by.
The number of people living in poverty has jumped to an 11-year high.
There's an event Tuesday in Kalamazoo to raise awareness about what it's like to live in poverty. It's a poverty simulation workshop where anyone can come and role-play some real-life experiences that low-income families deal with every day.
The Poverty Reduction Initiative says 36 percent of people in Kalamazoo are living below the poverty line right now.
If you'd like to take part, the workshop runs from 9:00 Tuesday morning until noon at the Douglas Community Center.
