Nearly half of Arkansas’ 1.2 million households can be considered ALICE—asset-limited, income-constrained and employed. That’s according to new figures from the ALICE in Arkansas initiative, a partnership between nonprofits and various companies in the state.
In a news conference in Sherwood Tuesday, Rebecca Pittillo, executive director of the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, said the state’s ALICE population has now risen to 47%, with 16% below the federal poverty level.
“70% of Arkansas’ 20 most common occupations pay less than $20 per hour, and many of these workers, our childcare providers, our cashiers, our health aides, are part of the ALICE population; employed, but unable to cover basic living expenses,” she said.
Pittillo says a loss of pandemic-era safety net programs, like stimulus payments and the Child Tax Credit, have made the issue worse. She says Arkansas also ranks last in the nation for savings.
“Even though wages have increased by the fastest pace in decades, the cost of living for a family of four rose from $54,948 in 2021 to $71,052 in 2022, outpacing those wage gains,” she said.
The initiative is also launching a new program called ALICE@Work, where business leaders meet to strategize how to better support ALICE employees. Molly Palmer with Heart of Arkansas United Way says three Arkansas-based financial institutions, Encore Bank, Southern Bancorp and Diamond Lakes Federal Credit Union, have joined the program’s first cohort.
“ALICE@Work exemplifies how employers across Arkansas can invest in ALICE workers and create meaningful partnerships in their communities. The program offers a variety of tools including individualized data reports, comprehensive course curriculum and self-directed action planning to help businesses better understand the challenges their employees face.”
More information is available online at aliceinar.org.
Little Rock Public Radio received grant funding from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation to report on Arkansas' ALICE population.
