Since the 2009 economic crisis, over nine million jobs have been created in America. Officially, the recession is over — yet 46.7 million Americans live in poverty, about 15% of the U.S. population. Many of them aren’t unemployed; they are the working poor, often holding at least two jobs to make ends meet.
The documentary introduces us to individuals such as Germania, who works two minimum-wage jobs (around 18 hours a day) and struggles to support her children and mother-in-law in a tiny motel room. Another story follows Joe and Chelsie, who live in a tent in a church carpark with their daughters, sharing a porta-potty with dozens of others. Also featured is Scott Slawson, a long-time GE worker whose job is threatened by relocation to a much lower-wage state. Through these personal stories, the film sheds light on how many Americans are contributing to the country’s “recovery” while remaining extremely vulnerable.
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