The effect of economic conditions on poverty perception in Minnesota

Abstract

AbstractThe paper analyzes subjective poverty in St. Louis County, Minnesota, with the methods of systematic data collection in 2020 and makes a diachronic comparison using the results of a similar survey from 2010. The paper identifies the most important poverty-related items and compares the precise meanings of the results of the 2010 and 2020 surveys. It also aims to find out how the recovery after the recession of 2008 modified perceptions of poverty. It is revealed that poverty in 2020 is mainly associated with items related to material needs. Many of the items mentioned in relation to poverty are related to financial issues, to basic human needs, or to physical safety. The paper concludes that in spite of the economic recovery, subjective poverty did not change significantly in the examined period.