November 2, 2011
As the United States continues to limp out of the recession, food stamp use continues to rise. The Department of Agriculture reports that 45.8 million Americans now rely on the program for food. That's an 8.1 increase this year.
Overall, 15 percent of Americans rely on food stamps, but some areas of the country report much higher usage. One in five citizens in New Mexico, Tennessee, Oregon and Louisiana report using food stamps. Mississippi has the highest rate of food stamp usage at 21 percent of citizens.
Though the growth in the national food stamp program continues, the pace has slowed since the heights of the recession.
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