Income=$0, and Some Food Stamps

But most remain upbeat about their future: Pew survey

(NEWSER) - The economy is doing a number on those aged 18 to 34, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center :

• Half say they have taken a job they didn't want.
• More than a third have gone back to school because of the job market.
• Nearly a quarter have taken unpaid work to gain experience.
• About a quarter have moved back in with the folks.
• More than 1 in 5 have postponed having a baby, and about the same number have put off getting married.

Mississippi leads the way, with 21% of residents on the rolls

(NEWSER) - A record 45.8 million people—that's a staggering 15% of Americans—sustained themselves via food stamps in August, reports the Wall Street Journal . That number was up 1.1% over July, notes Business Week , and 8.1% over the year prior. In terms of sheer numbers, Texas and California had the most residents on the rolls, with 4.12 million and 3.82 million, respectively; but percentage-wise, Mississippi led the way with more than 21% of its population. Louisiana, New Mexico, Oregon, and Tennessee all had 20% of their populations on food stamps. More»

State's decision to check assets bucks national trend

(NEWSER) - If you’re not making much money but are driving a nice car, don’t expect any help buying groceries in Michigan. The state this month began checking the assets of would-be food stamp recipients, USA Today reports; anyone with more than $5,000 in liquid assets or a car or truck worth more than $15,000 is most likely disqualified. “If you’re driving an Escalade, maybe it’s time to find a car that better fits your current economic situation,” a Department of Human Services official explained. More»

More people may be drinking at home: CDC

(NEWSER) - The good news: According to self-reported data, Americans are driving drunk less often. The bad news: It may not be because we're more responsible, but because ... we're broke. The CDC data shows that self-reported drunk driving among adults was down 30% from 161 million instances in 2006 to about 112 million in 2010. Though the reasons are "not well understood," the CDC says the poor economy could be a factor, as more people drink at home. More»

LeHigh warehouse like something out of Grapes of Wrath , Ezra Klein observes

(NEWSER) - In the Grapes of Wrath, the Joad family gets a hard lesson in economics, when they follow a handbill for jobs to California—only to find there are no jobs. Why, he asks, did they put out the handbills? A fellow homeless man replies that if you’ve but one man for a job, you must pay him what he wants. “But s’pose they’s a hundred men wants that job. … Jus’ offer ‘em a nickel—why they’ll kill each other fightin’ for that nickel." One might dismiss that as another time and/or fiction, but Ezra Klein sees a modern example right in Pennsylvania. More»