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US Poverty Rate Hits 11-Year High

First figures since recession reveal decline in incomes

By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 30, 2009 5:23 AM CDT

(Newser) – The share of Americans living in poverty soared to 13.2% last year, its highest level since 1997, according to new census data. Median household income also fell, to $50,303 from $52,163 the previous year. Latinos have suffered the most from the recession. Their median income dropped by 5.6%, while that of non-Latinos fell only 2.6%.

Michelle Jackson and her husband, Walter, hold their daughter Sakarra as they listen to a recruiter at a job fair in Philadelphia earlier this month.
Michelle Jackson and her husband, Walter, hold their daughter Sakarra as they listen to a recruiter at a job fair in Philadelphia earlier this month.   (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
An unidentified resident of a homeless encampment known as Tent City is seen in Fresno, Calif. Fresno has one of the highest concentrations of poverty in the nation.
An unidentified resident of a homeless encampment known as Tent City is seen in Fresno, Calif. Fresno has one of the highest concentrations of poverty in the nation.   (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
A customer pays for clothes at a Gap store in Palo Alto, Calif.
A customer pays for clothes at a Gap store in Palo Alto, Calif.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 5 comments
0001tr
Sep 30, 2009 12:24 PM CDT
NO WAY..the federal reserve and the current (as would be the previous) Administration are reporting , the recession is over , the economy is stabilizing and housing sales are up..Go Spend , spend, spend...WE are are fools sitting around watching our country be stolen...Their Plan (the one to destory) is working beautifully...NOW how about some plan for those of us that are willing to take action to reverse this deceit and corruption, but just don't know where to start..
aces08
Sep 30, 2009 11:42 AM CDT
@hughchi i seriously hope that sarcasm because it seems like it. On a side note, it sucks when the rich get greedy and mess up and the lower class pays the consequences for them. Capitalism at its best folks.
schmidtkoff
Sep 30, 2009 4:19 AM CDT
@hugh - are you an idiot living in a cave? it 's the economy stupid. there are no job. the homeless residence i work in just took in a family from texas who lost their home through foreclosure. the have two children. the went to delaware where they had family. there were no jobs there. they came here to south carolina, and there are no jobs here!. they came with all of their belongings on the back of their truck. they did not ask for this. what is wrong with you? working the overnight shift i checked the parking lot every 15 minutes to make sure the only belonging they had left were not stolen off their truck. jesus. where is your empathy? compassion? they didn't ask to lose their job or their house as a result of that lost job. f- you.
US • Money

 
recession • poverty • Latinos • poverty rate • Census data • median income

 
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