41% of Jackson County households are not financially stable, according to the 2021 ALICE report from the Michigan Association of United Ways.

The report found that nearly 25,000 of Jackson County’s 61,403 households did not earn enough to afford the basic cost of living.

United Way officials say that the report highlights the vulnerability of households affected by the economy during the pandemic.

ALICE, which stands for “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed”, refers to a demographic households earning more income than the federal level of poverty, but less than the basic cost of living.

United Way of Jackson County president and CEO Ken Toll said in a statement that ALICE households are most likely to be stuck in low-paying jobs, making them unable to generate money for schooling or training for better paying jobs, and are also most likely to fall into poverty after after emergency spending, such as car or home repair.