American Rescue Plan Fact Sheet: Impact on Pennsylvania

by Joseph Robinette Biden

The American Rescue Plan: Impacts on Pennsylvania

The Need for Action in Pennsylvania

The pandemic and the associated economic crisis have had a severe impact on Pennsylvania. The need for action is clear:

• Since the pandemic began, more than 948,643 people have been infected with COVID-19 and more than 24,349 people have died.
• The unemployment rate is 7.1%, up from 5% before the pandemic.
• Since February 2020, more than 342,268 fewer people are employed.
• 701,000 adults – 9% of all adults in the state – report not having enough food to eat. This includes 381,000 adults living with children, or 14% of all adults living with children, who report that the children in their household do not have enough to eat.
• An estimated 489,000 renters or 20% of renters are not caught up on rent.
• An estimated 2,747,000 adults or 30% of all adults statewide report having difficulty covering normal household expenses.

The Effect of the American Rescue Plan on Pennsylvania

President Biden’s American Rescue Plan will provide Pennsylvania with:

• $7.4 billion in state fiscal relief
• $4.9 billion in local fiscal relief
• More than $5.1 billion in relief for K-12 schools
• Economic impact payments of up to $1,400 per person (above the $600 per person provided in December) for more than 8.1 million adults and 2.8 million children. This is 86% of all adults in the state and 84% of all children in the state.
• Additional relief of up to $1,600 per child through the Child Tax Credit to the families of 2,368,000 children, lifting 140,000 children out of poverty
• Additional relief of up to nearly $1,000 through the Earned Income Tax Credit to 700,000 childless workers, including many in frontline jobs
• Marketplace health insurance premiums that are $1402 lower per month for a 60-year old couple earning $75,000 per year