密歇根新闻广播 密歇根现在的贫困儿童比美国大衰退时期还要多

 

A new report says more children in Michigan are growing up in low-income households now than during the Great Recession, even though the state's unemployment rate is the lowest it's been in a decade.

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, nearly one in four Michigan children live in poverty, compared to one in five in 2008.

Laura Speer with the Annie E. Casey Foundation said many families have yet to benefit from post-recession economic recovery.

"Those families that may be working, that may have been able to get a job are getting jobs that are relatively¹ low-paid," Speer said.

The numbers are especially bleak² for children of color. Almost a third of the state's Latino children and almost half of African-American children are living in poverty.

Speer said children growing up in low-income households could mean long-term ripple³ effects for the nation's economy.

"Children who grow up in poverty, especially when they're exposed to very low incomes for a long period of time, have trouble in school, they're less likely to graduate from high school," she said. "We really need every child to be able to achieve their full potential in our country."

Speer said the best way to boost the economic well-being⁴ of children is by boosting policies and programs that help parents, including paid sick leave regulations and the state's Earned Income Tax Credit.

This is the second year in a row Michigan has fallen behind when it comes to overall child well-being.

1 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

2 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

3 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

4 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。