THE SUPPLEMENTAL POVERTY MEASURE (SPM) AND NONAGED ADULTS: HOW AND WHY THE SPM AND OFFICIAL POVERTY ESTIMATES DIFFER.

In November 2011, the Census Bureau released its first report on the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). The SPM addresses many criticisms of the official poverty measure, and its intent is to provide an improved statistical picture of poverty. This article examines the extent of poverty identified by the two measures. We present a detailed examination of poverty among nonaged adults (those aged 18-64). For a more comprehensive view of poverty and comparison purposes, some findings are presented for younger and older segments of the population. We compare and contrast poverty estimates produced under the official and new measures and investigate why the official and SPM estimates differ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]