Food Stamp Participation on the Rise in August 2009

As a logical consequence of the prolonged economic downturn, it appears that participation in the federal food stamp program is on the rise.

In fact, household participation has been climbing so steadily that it has far surpassed the last peak set as a result of the immediate fallout following hurricane Katrina.

The latest data released by the Department of Agriculture shows that, on a year-over-year basis, household participation has increased a whopping 25.25% while individual participation, as a ratio of the overall population, has increased 22.83%.

The August results confirm that participation is continuing to climb dramatically, likely as a result of the recent jump in total unemployment, driving the nominal benefit costs up an astounding 62.61% on a year-over-year basis to $4,853,114,719 for the month.

Looking at the last chart that plots the total unemployment rate (unemployment rate of all traditionally unemployed workers plus all marginally attached and part time workers) and the population adjusted individual program participation rate normalized since 2005, one can plainly see that program participation would be expected to continue its surge.

click to enlarge

Comments

[Robert Mart...:]

Your charts highlight the disconnect between corporate prosperity and the plight of the American workers (aka "those about to be outsourced or laid off"). I described this disconnect in "The Deflation of the American Dream" seekingalpha.com/artic...

Food stamps are a scary new illustration of how low we've sunk.

Rob

Nov 05 11:35 AM

[TeresaE:]

The charts are telling.

Too bad most people don't care.

Yet. The bill is coming due pretty quickly.

Nov 06 02:37 PM

[Graham and ...:]

To put it bluntly, "the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer."


On Nov 06 02:37 PM TeresaE wrote:

> The charts are telling.
>
> Too bad most people don't care.
>
> Yet. The bill is coming due pretty quickly.

Nov 06 02:46 PM

[GoldLovingP...:]

TeresaE if your prostitue patrants have to pay for their own food then they may not have any money left over to pay you? So I wouldn't rock the boat, you could lose a big portion of your income.

Wishing you the best as usual.

Goldey


On Nov 06 02:37 PM TeresaE wrote:

> The charts are telling.
>
> Too bad most people don't care.
>
> Yet. The bill is coming due pretty quickly.

Nov 06 06:13 PM