increases the opportunity to engage in health promoting behaviors.
Health also may affect income by restricting the type and amount of employment a person may seek or by preventing a person from working.
Table 3–8 Poverty Weighted Average Thresholds for the Years 1986–2011 by Persons in Household
Year First Person Two Persons Four Persons
1986 $5,572 $7,138 $11,203
1990 6,652 8,509 13,359
1994 7,547 9,661 15,141
1998 8,316 10,634 16,660
2002 9,183 11,756 18,392
2006 10,294 13,167 20,614
2010 11,139 14,218 22,314
2011 11,491 14,667 23,018
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/threshld/thresh86. html; http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/threshld/thresh90.html; http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/ poverty/data/threshld/thresh94.html; http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/threshld/thresh98.html; http:// www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/threshld/thresh02.html; http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/ threshld/thresh06.html; and http://wwwcensus.gov, April 12, 2012; Federal Register 63, no. 36. (1998, February 24), 9235–9238, and (2002, February 14), 6931–6933; U.S. Census Bureau. (2006, August 29).
There has been an increase in earning inequality over the last 25 years. The income for all races rose, then dipped, in this time period. For Blacks and Hispanics, it was much lower than for Whites and Asians and for people from the Pacific Islands. Much of this change and inequality was due to technologi- cal changes that increased income to highly skilled labor. At the same time, less skilled workers saw their wages decrease or stagnate. The other factors respon- sible for this phenomenon include