a new government report shows the median
household income increased five percent
between 2014 and 2015 the fastest growth
on record it's the first time that
measure has increased since 2007 at the
end of that year the great recession
began last year's median household
income in real terms was 56 thousand
five hundred dollars almost three
thousand dollars higher than the year
before 43 million Americans still lived
in poverty during 2015 but the report
notes that's about 3.5 million fewer
people than in 2014 the poverty rate in
2015 sat at 13.5 percent but still saw
its lowest one year drop since nineteen
sixty eight to get there the country's
lowest earners also saw the largest
increases percentage-wise and their
incomes average incomes increased across
almost all regions of the country
however workers in rural areas didn't
see a significant boost in pay asian
americans were the only racial group
that didn't see a significant increase
in income but that demographic still has
the highest average income overall for
new z i'm kathryn beak