Nonworking Poor

In general terms, the nonworking poor are people who are not actively working or engaged in a specific labor activity. There are several attributes that characterize the nonworking poor, [Page 1161]such as low income, which is usually below the poverty line, or having a household with dependents in which the combined family income is not sufficient to lift the members from their current economic state. The lack of economic activity or participation in the job market draws the thin line that differentiates the nonworking poor from the working poor. Several theories try to determine the social forces and economic conditions that shape the life chances of the nonworking poor, but more nuanced discourses continue to emerge as variations in life conditions and society in general ...