Number of Ohioans in poverty rose in ’09

COLUMBUS — The number of Ohioans living in poverty increased in 2009, as good-paying manufacturing jobs disappeared and workers took home less income and benefits than in prior years.

That’s according to a new report released Friday by an advocacy group hoping state and federal officials will increase job training, affordable housing and other initiatives to assist residents in need.

“We are reaping the harvest now of over 30 years of failing to fix the problems of jobs’ leaving Ohio and the nation,” said Phil Cole, executive director of the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies. He added later, “Job creation has to be a priority for Ohio.”

The association publishes its annual State of Poverty report to track trends among needy Ohioans. The latest report was released during a press conference near the Statehouse.

Roberta Garber, executive director of Community Action Research Partners, which prepared the report, called some of the results “pretty startling for a one-year time period.”

She added, “The poverty rate is up about a percentage point. The number of food-stamp recipients has increased by a significant number. The unemployment rate has jumped from 6 [percent] to 10 percent, which is probably the biggest driver of what’s happening now. ... Very serious concerns and changes in the last year.”

Among the specific findings:

UA total of 1.5 million Ohioans lived below the federal poverty level in 2008, and the state’s poverty rate of 13.7 percent was the highest since 1994.

USince 2002, Ohio’s population has increased 1.2 percent, but the number of people living in poverty increased 41.7 percent.

UThe state is projected to lose 140,000 manufacturing jobs by 2016. And one in four Ohio jobs in 2007 were in occupations with average wages below the poverty wages.

Recommendations for reducing poverty included job training and economic development focused on industries and positions that pay well and providing benefits and more-affordable housing and public-transportation options.

“Now people will say that we still cannot afford it,” Cole said. “But can we afford to continue to pay Medicaid and unemployment instead?”

mkovac@dixcom.com