Men with low OASDHI-covered earnings not counted as poor in the CPS.

The poverty thresholds used m the Current Populatmn Survey (CPS) of the Bureau of the Census vary with fanuly sue, cornposItIon, and residence The mcome definltlon mcludes all money mcome, unearned as well as earned, of all family members As a consequence, nulhons of men with low earnqs-below the poverty level for the average nonfarm fanuly of four ($4,275 m 1972), for example-are members of nonpoor fan&es This 1s the case even for “pnme age” men, those aged 25-59 The summary earnmgs record (SER) file mamtamod by the Social Security Admmlstratlon provides an accurate record of annual earnmgs m employment covered under the old-age, SU~YIVOI‘S, dlsablhty, and health msurance (OASDIII) program Accordmg to the SER as updated through September 1973, 34 percent of all men with recorded earmngs recewed less than $4,275 from that source m 1972 Among men aged 25-59, the proportlon was 18 percent The Bureau of the Census counted as poor only 8 percent of all men wth work experlencs m 1972 and only 6 percent of those aged 22-59 1 Most of this d&xence reflects the mfluence of three factors-the sensltwlty of the poverty classlficatlon to family type and the conceptual differences (a) between mcome and earnmgs and (b) between family and mdwldual mcome