United Way coined the acronym ALICE which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.  The ALICE Report places a spotlight on a large population of hardworking residents who work yet have little or no savings, and are one emergency from falling into poverty. The Report, compiled by Rutgers University, is the most comprehensive depiction to date of financial need in each county across Florida, using the latest data from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Census. The Report unveils new measures, based on households’ income levels and expenses that quantify the size of who in Florida’s workforce is struggling financially, and why. 

Key ALICE Report Findings

• Nearly 1 in 3 Florida households work hard, live above the Federal Poverty Limit and still cannot consistently afford the basics of housing, food, healthcare, childcare, and transportation.
• There are more than 3.2 million households in Florida who do not make enough to consistently afford the basics. This prevents them from saving to protect their family against an emergency.
• 42% of Volusia Households, 45% of Flagler Households and 45% across Florida do not earn enough to consistently cover the basic living expenses highlighted by the ALICE Threshold.
• Two thirds of all jobs in FL pay less than $20 an hour and most pay between $10 and $15 an hour. The jobs forecast shows that low-skill and low-paying jobs will dominate Florida’s future if the economy continues on its current trajectory.
• There are systemic problems that will not be solved with a magic bullet – policymakers, academics, business and social service agencies need to work together to address long-term systemic change.

The Report

DOWNLOAD THE 2017 REPORT

The complete 258 page report in a high-resolution pdf, complete with interactive Table of Contents.

Key Sections of the Report: 

• What's New - pg V
• Table of Contents – pg VI
• Executive Summary – pgs  1-2
  
• At A Glance - Florida - pgs 3-4
• The Household Survival Budget: Methodology and Sources – pg 16 (Explains how the ALICE Threshold was developed)
• Flagler County – pg 106 
• Volusia County – pg 200 

2014 Supplemental Documents

ALICE Snapshot InfoGraph - 2 page infograph to help tell the story of ALICE. 
Meet Alice - 2 page summary and introduction to ALICE Report

ALICE Report and Corporate Engagement Info Sheet

Additional materials coming in the weeks and months ahead!

We WAnt to hear your story.

Are you ALICE?  Is your family working but struggling to make ends meet?  If so, we want to hear from you!  Tell us your story.

6 States and Counting

United Way's Study of Financial Hardship

In a collaborative effort, United Ways in California, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, and New Jersey will release groundbreaking reports throughout the next few months, providing a comprehensive picture of financial need in their state.

This is a grassroots movement among United Ways to stimulate a fresh, nonpartisan national dialogue about the growing population of families living paycheck to paycheck. This effort grew from a project first initiated in 2009 at United Way of Northern New Jersey. Beginning this year, some 200 United Ways in these six states plan to use the reports as the framework for their work in improving their residents’ lives and strengthening their communities.

Find out more about other ALICE Reports at unitedwayalice.org 

How YOU Can Help ALICE

Raise Awareness

The ALICE population is not new, but the ALICE Report documents for the first time - in some startling ways – their struggles. The ALICE Report is an important tool for us all to consider as we define ourselves, our businesses, and our economy.  YOU can share the ALICE Report and to start talking about what this means for our community and our future. Use the hashtag #MeetALICE and share the report.

Sample Tweets: Copy and paste into Twitter or just Follow @yourunitedway and retweet and favorite!

• @yourunited is shedding light on those who are struggling in our community unitedwayvfc.org/alice #MeetALICE 
• 45% of our families, can't afford to live here.  @yourunitedway wants to get the conversation going. unitedwayvfc.org/alice #MeetALICE 
• Working hard, but things just arent' working? You're not alone. #MeetALICE @yourunitedway unitedwayvfc.org/alice  

Improve Access

Opportunities exist to help ALICE become more stable yet many people do not access them because of insufficient or incorrect information. Share what you know about ALICE and United Way’s work in Education, Income and Financial Stability.  Contact United Way’s 2-1-1 to find already existing programs and services.  Help us seek out new solutions for lasting change.

DONATE TODAY

ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE

Raising issues and solutions that are important to you, your business and community’s success is essential to promoting true collective impact. United Way needs you to give input, suggest solutions, and speak out on the issues you care about that affect ALICE.