Hidden Unemployment

available education continues the vicious cycle of families entering into the working
poor.
Transportation
Given the fact that many working poor people do not own a car or cannot afford to drive
their car, where they live can significantly limit where they are able to work, and vice
versa. Given the fact that public transportation in many US cities is sparse, expensive,
or non-existent, this is a particularly salient obstacle. Some working poor people are
able to use their social networks—if they have them—to meet their transportation
needs. In a study on low-income single mothers, Edin and Lein found that single
mothers who had someone to drive them to and from work were much more likely to be
able to support themselves without relying on government aid.
Basic Necessities
Like the unemployed poor, the working poor struggle to pay for basic necessities like
food, clothing, housing, and transportation. In some cases, however, the working poor's
basic expenses can be higher than the unemployed poor's. For instance, the working
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