Past Issues :: 2006 November 1 :: News: Results of
2006 Hunger Survey
Results of the 2006 Oregon Food Bank Hunger Survey
Employment
47 percent of surveyed households had at least one adult who
was working. That's up from 43 percent in 2004 and 37 percent in
1996.
30 percent of households had one or more members working full
time. That's up from 26 percent in 2004 and 24 percent in 2000.
45 percent of families with children had at least one full-time
worker.
78 percent of households reported incomes less than 100 percent
of the Federal Poverty Line (FPL).
33 percent of households reported incomes less than 50 percent
of FPL.
38 percent cite higher wages as critical to improving their situation.
Job growth vs. wages
Oregon and southwest Washington's job growth has been strong for
the past three years, but nearly two-thirds of the new jobs created
since the end of the last economic boom pay less than $30,000 a year,
according to the Oregon Center for Public Policy. Moreover, a smaller
share of workers in Oregon has employers who pay something towards
health insurance compared to just a few years ago.
Many lack health insurance, delay care
53 percent of households delay medical care due to cost. That's
up from 47 percent in 2002 and 41 percent in 1996.
67 percent of households delay dental care due to cost. That's
up from 62 percent in 2004 and 51 percent in 2000.
38 percent of adults in surveyed households had no health insurance.
20 percent of children in surveyed households had no health
insurance.
49 percent of households delay filling medical prescriptions
due to cost.
58 percent report medical or hospital debts.
24 percent say that improved health could prevent another
food crisis.
High cost of housing
23 percent of responding households cite the need for affordable
housing as crucial to preventing future food crises.
Barriers to employment
Although employment hasn't provided an adequate income for many
households, 50 percent of survey respondents said that work was their
key to a better future. But they face critical barriers:
29 percent of households with members looking for work did
not have a phone.
27 percent of households with members looking for work did
not have a car.
A major barrier for mothers entering the workforce is the high
cost of child care.
Childcare costs
According to the OCPP, the annual cost of full-time care for a toddler
in Oregon is now $4,000 more than tuition and fees for an undergraduate
at the University of Oregon.
Who is hungry?
37 percent of those receiving emergency food were children
17 years and under. The current state population estimate for that
age range is 24.7 percent.
22 percent of households with children report cutting or reducing
the size of their child's meals. Of those, 35 percent do this almost
every month.
Two-parent households are still the largest group served.
Most adult recipients are working, retired or disabled.