Who is ALICE?

Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed

ALICE is employed – as a cashier, health care worker, security guard, laborer, child care worker, and more

ALICE’s income exceeds the Federal Poverty level, but is still not enough to pay for basic needs

ALICE households are men and women, young and old, of all races and ethnicities, living in rural, urban, and suburban areas

ALICE lives in every community across Pennsylvania and in Monroe County

43% of Monroe County residents are ALICE

What causes an increase in ALICE households?

Stagnant wages

Widening income inequality

Overall employment growth driven by an increase in jobs that pay wages that cannot keep up with the increased costs of a basic household budget

Critical Trends

Cost of living is increasing for ALICE households

        The ALICE Essentials Index rose 3.4% annually nationwide, while inflation rose 1.8%

        Worker vulnerability is increasing while wages stagnate in ALICE jobs

A record 56% of Pennsylvanians were paid hourly in 2018

        58% of jobs statewide paid less than $20 per hour

        The hourly wage needed to rent a 2 bedroom apartment in Monroe County is $21.10

Number of ALICE households is increasing

        There are more than twice as many ALICE households as those in poverty

Next Steps for ALICE

Quantifying the financial contributions of ALICE and poverty-level households to the state economy

If all households earned enough to meet basic needs, not only would each family’s hardship be eased, but the state economy would also grow by 17%

More Information

ALICE in Monroe County

COVID-19 Impact on Pennsylvania: The ALICE Story; One Year Later

ALICE in Pennsylvania: A Financial Hardship Study (2020 Update)

ALICE In Your District Tool