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New report highlights Louisiana families above the poverty line, but unable to afford basic needs

More than 70,000 Cashiers work in Louisiana for an average wage of $8.75.
Brian Fountain
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More than 70,000 Cashiers work in Louisiana for an average wage of $8.75.

New report highlights Louisiana families above the poverty line, but unable to afford basic needs

The Louisiana Association of United Waysreleased theALICE reportthis week. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed -- the population of individuals and families who are working but still unable to afford the basic necessities: housing, food, childcare, healthcare and transportation.

The report provides parish-level data on the state of financial instability among households.WWNO'sLaineKaplan-Levensondiscussed this report with United Ways CEO SarahBerthelot, starting with why there are so many ALICE households in Louisiana. 

Copyright 2016 WWNO - New Orleans Public Radio

Laine Kaplan-Levenson
Laine Kaplan-Levenson is a producer and reporter for NPR's Throughline podcast. Before joining the Throughline team, they were the host and producer of WWNO's award-winning history podcast TriPod: New Orleans at 300, as well as WWNO/WRKF's award-winning political podcast Sticky Wicket. Before podcasting, they were a founding reporter for WWNO's Coastal Desk, and covered land loss, fisheries, water management, and all things Louisiana coast. Kaplan-Levenson has contributed to NPR, This American Life, Marketplace, Latino USA, Oxford American (print), Here and Now, The World, 70 Million, and Nancy, among other national outlets. They served as a host and producer of Last Call, a multiracial collective of queer artists and archivists, and freelanced as a storytelling and podcast consultant, workshop instructor, and facilitator of student-produced audio projects. Kaplan-Levenson is also the founder and host of the live storytelling series, Bring Your Own. They like to play music and occasionally DJ under the moniker DJ Swimteam.