Montana Survey Results

Contact: Susan Buckles, APR
                 Public Relations Specialist
                 Northwest Area Foundation
                 651-324-8730

Montanans continue to see neighbors struggling to make ends meet – are very concerned-but remain hopeful of improvement

Northwest Area Foundation National Survey Reveals

*One-half say it takes at least $40,000 annually to meet basic standard of living needs for a family of four
*Six in 10 see a lot of people struggling to make ends meet
*More than half say they know people working two or more jobs who are struggling to make ends meet, and their priority is to help them
*Nearly nine out of 10 say elected officials should work to help those struggling to make ends meet

ST. PAUL, Minn. (April 30, 2007) – A nationwide survey released today by the Northwest Area Foundation reveals that Montanans are more likely than the rest of the nation to perceive a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet. Sixty percent report “a lot” are struggling, compared to 50 percent of Americans as a whole. Whether it might be plant closings, outsourcing of jobs to other countries, default of subprime loans or lack of access to living wage jobs, Montanans say they are aware of their neighbors’ tough grind. Many of those facing tough times are working full time. Slightly more than half of Montanans, 52-percent, say they regularly come into contact with people who are struggling to make ends meet, whether that would be through church, work, or elsewhere.

“This survey shows us that despite an improved national economy, there are those who are not prospering,” said Karl Stauber, president and CEO of the Northwest Area Foundation, which commissioned the study. “We need to look behind the job growth data to the quality of jobs available. Americans need living wage jobs in order to meet basic needs, so they’re no longer waging the paycheck-to-paycheck battle that keeps them struggling, every week and every month.”

Montanans’ steady concern about those struggling to make ends meet comes at a time when nearly 32 percent of all households in the state have an annual income that falls below $25,000, which surpasses the national average of 26.9 percent earning below $25,000. Nine percent of people in the state report holding two or more jobs, which is nearly double that of the rest of the nation.

The survey found for the second year in a row an overwhelming majority of Montanans, 83 percent, say it takes at least $30,000 for a family to meet basic needs, and more than half agreed with the majority of Americans who say it takes at least $40,000 (twice the federal poverty threshold of $20,444 per year).

The stronger survey results may have to do with an increased sample size of this year’s poll. While the number of national interviews remained the same as the 2005 survey, oversamples in Montana doubled from 200 to 400.

Hard work doesn’t translate into prosperity

Even in an era of a strong stock market and economic growth, many who are working hard don’t share in the prosperity. Nearly one of every two Montanans, 47 percent, say they know people who are working full-time, yet are still struggling to make ends meet. Nearly two-thirds, 59 percent, say they know people in their communities who are working two or more jobs and are still struggling to make ends meet.

Financial difficulties hit people who are living in all geographic areas – rural, urban, small cities and towns. In Montana, state residents between the ages of 35 and 54 are most likely to know someone working two or more jobs and still struggling to make ends meet.

When asked how much a family of four needs each year to meet basic standards of living in their communities, people across the United States and in Montana cited slightly higher figures than they did last year: How much income would you say a family of four needs to earn in a year in order to make ends meet in your community?

At least $10,000                   1%
At least $20,000                 15%
At least $30,000                 32%                        (NOTE: U.S. federal poverty threshold for a family of four
At least $40,000                 31%                        in 2006 was $20,444 per year.)
More than $40,000             20%

Montanans willing to take action

A majority of respondents say they are willing to do more, pay more and hold elected officials accountable for helping those who are struggling to make ends meet. Nearly half, 49 percent, say helping people struggling to make ends meet is a top priority.

This year’s survey found a slight six-point increase in the percentage of Americans who say they keep these issues in mind at the voting booth. Sixty-nine percent in Montana said they think about how well a candidate would help those struggling to make ends meet.

“Elected officials should be addressing larger policies that can create strategies for poverty reduction. But they also should be working on a community level with other people, working to create dialogue on poverty. Talking and working together, communities can decide what role community members can play, and what role elected officials can play in poverty reduction,” said Dan Clark, former mayor, Choteau, Mont.

Expectations for local elected officials

Most Montanans, 81 percent, say they are satisfied with the way things are going in their communities. Yet, nearly all state residents polled say they believe that elected officials hold a key role in improving conditions for all. Eighty-nine percent say it is important for local elected officials to help people who are struggling to make ends meet.

The survey shows people have clear priorities for their elected officials: good jobs and access to health care remain high on the list. More than three-quarters of Montanans, 79 percent, say attracting and keeping well-paying jobs should be a top priority for their elected officials, while healthcare concerns followed as a close second at 78 percent.

Montanans willing to help

At the same time a majority of Montanans feels the number of people going through hard times can be reduced. Sixty-one percent of people in the state said they would be very or somewhat likely to pay higher taxes if it would help people in their communities. Most people said they would be willing to do at least one of the following items to help those who are struggling to make ends meet:

How likely would you be to: National Montana

Join with others in your community to discuss ways to help those struggling to make ends meet:
73%
62%

Take part in a church project to help people struggling to make ends meet:
82% 74%

Adopt a family in need to help them from time to time:
65% 62%

Pay $50 more a year in taxes if it would go to programs in your own community that help people struggling to make ends meet:
64% 61%

Talk to elected officials in your community about people’s struggle to make ends meet:
69% 64%

Further, Montanans are optimistic about the ability of people in their communities to reduce the number of people who are struggling to get by. This optimism may stem from the belief that there are many capable people with valuable skills in the community. More than three- quarters, 85 percent, believe the number of people struggling to make ends meet could be reduced. Ninety-three percent of respondents say their community effectively deals with local problems at least some of the time.

For additional information about this survey, and for downloadable graphics and charts generated by survey findings, see www.nwaf.org or call (651) 224-9635.

The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to helping communities reduce poverty for the long term. The Foundation works on strategic efforts with a small number of rural, urban, and American Indian reservation communities, and the organizations supporting these efforts, in its eight-state region: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. These states were served by the Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill. In 1934, Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill established the foundation. Since 1999, the Foundation has invested approximately $193 million in community-based poverty-reduction programs. It expects to invest an estimated additional $75 million within the next two years, at which time it will have completed its first 10 years of operation under a community-based program model. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests. For additional information, visit www.nwaf.org, or call 651-224-9635.

END

The Northwest Area Foundation (NWAF) commissioned Lake Research Partners (LRP) to conduct a national tracking survey to explore the public’s perception of poverty in one’s own community, attitudes toward the roles of local elected officials, and ways in which to address the issue. The survey was conducted among 4,000 Americans age 18 and older, from

March 2-22, 2007. A total of 800 interviews were conducted nationally, and oversamples of 400 were conducted in each of the following eight states: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The oversamples were weighted down to reflect their true proportion in the country. The margin of error is +/-3.5 percentage points for the national results and +/-5.0 points for the state results. This is the second survey of its kind, replicating a study NWAF and LRP conducted in December 2005.[1]

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[1] The 2005 survey also included a national sample of 800 interviews, but the state oversamples only included 200 interviews in each.