(미국) 높은 빈곤률 때문에 IMF로부터 경고 받은 미국

출처: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-36599316

IMF warns the US over high poverty

• 22 June 2016
 
• From the sectionBusiness

The US has been warned about its high poverty rate in the International Monetary Fund's annual assessment of the economy.

The fund said about one in seven people were living in poverty and that it needed to be tackled urgently. 밝은 하늘: 미국인 7명 중 1명이 빈곤층. 미국이 전세계 최고 부유국가란 사실을 감안하면 믿기지 않는 사실.

It recommended raising the minimum wage and offering paid maternity leave to women to encourage them to work. IMF의 권고사항: ①최저임금 인상. ②여성들에게 유급출산휴가 허용. 밝은 하늘: 미국의 2016년도 현재 최저임금은 주마다 다른데, 최저 5달러대부터 10달러까지이며, 2020년(?)까진가 미국전체 최저임금을 15달러로 인상하기로 했다고 알고 있음. 미국은 전세계 군사비의 3분의 1을 차지하는 막대한 비용 중 일부만이라도 국내로 돌리면 위와 같은 빈곤률은 쉽게 없앨 수 있겠으나, 세계의 1등국가를 지향하는 권력층이 과연 이런 걸 원할까? 

The report also cut the country's growth forecast for 2016 to 2.2% from a previous prediction of 2.4%. IMF가 예상한 미국의 금년도 경제성장률은 2.4%에서 2.2%로 하향됨.

Slower global growth and weaker consumer spending were blamed.

US economic growth slowed to an annual pace of 0.5% during the first three months of the year, down sharply from 1.4% in the last three months of 2015.

'Social strains'

But the stronger labour market meant that overall "the US economy is in good shape", said the IMF's managing director Christine Lagarde. May's unemployment figures showed the rate at an eight-year low of 4.7%.

However Ms Lagarde warned that "not only does poverty create significant social strains, it also eats into labour force participation, and undermines the ability to invest in education and improve health outcomes". 가난은 사회에 긴장감을 줄 뿐만 아니라, 노동 참여를 잠식하고, 교육에 투자하여 건강한 결과를 낳을 수 있는 여력을 훼손하게 된다. 

"Our assessment is that, if left unchecked, these four forces - participation, productivity, polarisation and poverty - will corrode the underpinnings of growth and hold back gains in US living standards," she added.

The report called on the US to invest more in education, as well as implement better social programmes such as childcare to help poorer Americans get jobs.