Next Avenue Logo
Advertisement

The Retirement Crisis Facing Blacks and Latinos

Why so many people of color retire poor — and what can be done about it

By Nari Rhee

Most middle-aged Americans aren’t in a position to retire with enough income to maintain their standard of living, according to recent studies. But a comfortable retirement is even more elusive for many blacks and Latinos, according to my analysis of Census Bureau data.

 

For one thing, today's retirees of color are much more likely to have a low income than white retirees. One of 3 blacks and 1 of 2 Latinos fall in the lowest income group among retirees age 65 and older (the average retirement income for that group: less than $6,000), compared with 1 of 5 whites.

(MORE: The U.S. Must Do More to Help its Diverse Elders)

Poverty statistics put this inequity into even starker relief: Blacks and Latinos who are 65 or older are more than two and a half times as likely as whites to live in poverty.
 

 

Take a look at the differences between blacks and Latinos and whites when it comes to receiving Social Security benefits: Just 84 percent of blacks 65 or older and 77 percent of Latinos live in families receiving Social Security benefits, compared with 91 percent of whites. And blacks' and Latinos' average monthly benefits are about a quarter less, according to AARP.

This is because Social Security benefits are tied to lifetime reported earnings, and workers of color are, in general, disadvantaged through low-wage jobs, a higher incidence of disability, higher unemployment (for blacks) and immigration status (for Latinos). 

 

 

Advertisement

 

Social Security would have to be strengthened, not cut. While the program is critical to all working Americans regardless of race, it has special urgency for people of color because they have less access to other sources of retirement income. 

 

 

These policy measures would significantly improve the retirement prospects of millions of workers of color who currently face serious hardship in old age.

Data sources and notes: Except where noted, figures are from my analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC), March 2012, data for calendar year 2011. “Retirees” are individuals age 65 and older who did not work during the reference year. Older individuals in general are age 65 and older. Families consist of related individuals in the same household and single individuals not living with a relative. The race of families was determined according to the race of the head of household or the first person listed in the family in the CPS survey data.

Nari Rhee, Ph.D., is manager of research at the National Institute on Retirement. She was formerly an associate academic specialist at the University of California Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education. Read More
Advertisement
Next Avenue LogoMeeting the needs and unleashing the potential of older Americans through media
©2024 Next AvenuePrivacy PolicyTerms of Use
A nonprofit journalism website produced by:
TPT Logo