Rhode Island’s poverty rate remained unchanged in 2014 at 14.3 percent, according to data released by the US Census Bureau. Poverty remained high in the Ocean State as the slow rate of economic recovery continued to take a toll on Rhode Island families. With one in seven Rhode Islanders living beneath the federal poverty level (about $24,000 for a family …

 New census data show that the share of Rhode Islanders without health insurance coverage fell sharply from 11.6% in 2013 to 7.4% in 2014. This data reflects the impact of health insurance expansion under the Affordable Care Act. An additional 43,000 Rhode Islanders now have coverage – as the number of uninsured decreased from 120,000 to 77,000. Rhode Island ranks …

 The lowest income Rhode Islanders pay nearly twice as much in state and local taxes as a share of household income compared to the wealthiest taxpayers. Who Pays?, a study released by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, analyzes the fairness of state and local tax structures.  It finds that like most states, Rhode Island’s tax system is regressive; …

A comparison of population changes and labor force participation among younger, older, and prime working-age adults shows differences among these cohorts since the recession began. Most notably, Rhode Island’s prime working- age population (25-54) decreased by 6.1 percent and labor force participation among this group dropped by 2.1 percent from 2007 through 2012. Younger and older workers had different experiences.  …