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The Big Reset: How The Puget Sound Region Has Emerged From The Recession

00000181-fa79-da89-a38d-fb7f297d0000September marks the fifth anniversary of the economic meltdown on Wall Street. Investment giant Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy, AIG took a government bailout in the billions and the Dow had the biggest single day loss in history.As the national economy convulsed in the great downturn of 2008, the Puget Sound region remained a relative bright spot compared with other parts of the country.We didn’t get hit as hard, and we bounced back more quickly. Our Big Reset series looks at how our region has emerged from the Great Recession, why we are so resilient and what challenges we still face.Tell us about your experiences since the recession. Email us, visit us on Facebook or Tweet using hashtag #thebigreset.00000181-fa79-da89-a38d-fb7f297d0001Photos by Jake Warga.

"Statistically Insignificant" Wage And Poverty Numbers Tell A Larger Story

KUOW | By Marcie Sillman

Published September 19, 2013 at 1:04 PM AKDT

The US Census Bureau released numbers this weeklooking at poverty rates and wages across the US in 2012. Our local numbers reflect what’s happening around the country: the number of people living in poverty has stagnated and wages have stayed about the same.

At first glance, this may seem like good news, or even non-news. But the census numbers reveal a larger picture of what’s happening in the wake of the recession: that people in low and middle income brackets aren’t really experiencing a recovery.

Jennifer Romich is the director of the West Coast Poverty Center and an associate professor at the UW School of Social Work. She told KUOW's Marcie Sillman the "statistically insignificant" numbers from the Census Bureau paint a concerning picture of many people that are unable to get ahead financially.

Produced by Jeannie Yandel.