The U.S. poverty rate rose to 12.7 percent in 2004, marking the fourth consecutive annual increase, with 37 million people living in poverty, an increase of 1.1 million from the previous year. Despite this rise, the percentage of uninsured individuals remained unchanged, and the unemployment rate held steady at 5%. Discussions highlighted the potential for the poverty rate to decline in the future due to improvements in the job market, although concerns were raised about the economic stability of households relying on risky mortgages. Critics pointed out that the poverty thresholds used in statistics are low compared to global standards, suggesting that the actual number of people in poverty may be underestimated. The conversation reflected a mix of political perspectives, with some attributing the rise in poverty to broader economic policies and others questioning the validity of the statistics presented.