Poverty and Income Security
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Report
Options for Reducing the Deficit: 2017 to 2026
December 8, 2016CBO periodically issues a volume of options—this year’s installment presents 115—that would decrease federal spending or increase federal revenues over the next decade. The report is available both as a PDF and in a searchable format.
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The Distribution of Household Income and Federal Taxes, 2013
June 8, 2016In 2013, households in the top, middle, and bottom income quintiles received 53, 14, and 5 percent, respectively, of the nation’s before-tax income and paid 69, 9, and 1 percent, respectively, of federal taxes.
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Report
Trends in the Joblessness and Incarceration of Young Men
May 9, 2016In 2014, 16 percent of men in the United States between the ages of 18 and 34 were jobless or incarcerated, up from 11 percent in 1980. Those numbers and related longer-term trends have significant economic and budgetary implications.
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Effective Marginal Tax Rates for Low- and Moderate-Income Workers in 2016
November 19, 2015In 2016, low- and moderate-income workers will face an effective marginal tax rate of 31 percent, on average. Federal individual income and payroll taxes will be the main contributors.
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Child Nutrition Programs: Spending and Policy Options
September 25, 2015Since 1990, real spending for child nutrition programs more than doubled—to $20 billion in 2014. CBO expects that increases in food prices and demographic changes will cause spending to rise further in the future.
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Report
Federal Housing Assistance for Low-Income Households
September 9, 2015CBO describes federal housing assistance to low-income households and how it has changed since 2000, provides information about the households that receive assistance, and assesses options for altering that assistance.
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The Effects of Potential Cuts in SNAP Spending on Households With Different Amounts of Income
March 16, 2015CBO examines several options that would reduce federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the effects they would have on households with different amounts of income.
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Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Spending and Policy Options
January 21, 2015This report examines spending on TANF, how TANF compares to other low-income support programs, and the effects of TANF on employment. CBO also analyzes policy options that would change the program’s funding and requirements for states.
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The Distribution of Household Income and Federal Taxes, 2011
November 12, 2014In 2011, households in the top, middle, and bottom quintiles received 52, 14, and 5 percent of the nation’s before-tax income, respectively; the shares of federal taxes paid by those households were 69, 9, and 1 percent.
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The Effects of a Minimum-Wage Increase on Employment and Family Income
February 18, 2014Raising the minimum wage would increase family income for many low-wage workers, moving some of them out of poverty. But some jobs for low-wage workers would probably be eliminated and the income of those workers would fall substantially.
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Growth in Means-Tested Programs and Tax Credits for Low-Income Households
February 11, 2013During the past 40 years, federal spending for major means-tested programs and tax credits for low-income households more than tripled as a share of gross domestic product. In 2012, such spending totaled $588 billion.
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Refundable Tax Credits
January 24, 2013The number and cost of refundable tax credits have grown considerably since 1975. Federal costs (in 2013 dollars) peaked at $238 billion in 2008, but costs will fall to $149 billion in 2013 before reaching $213 billion in 2021.
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Report
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
April 19, 2012One in seven U.S. residents received benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in 2011, at a total cost of $78 billion. Spending on SNAP benefits more than doubled between 2007 and 2011.