Pasadena, CA -- (SBWire) -- 09/01/2010 -- 50 million Americans are getting government aid through its various anti-poverty programs. That is one-sixth of the country’s population.
The programs include Medicaid, which alone is being used by 50 million people and is usage is up by at least 17 percent since December 2007. Then there are 40 million people getting food stamps, an increase of almost 50 percent. The program has kept growing for the last three years. The number of people getting unemployment insurance has hit 10 million, an increase of over four times since 2007. All the figures do have considerable overlap.
The four week average of initial jobless claims was 486,750. Economists give more importance to this figure since it gives a broader picture than a week to week figure which fluctuates based on several factors. But even this figure is the highest since November 2009. The total number of people getting unemployment benefits as of August, 7 is 10.1 million.
In spite of the grim news of the unemployment situation, A. Harrison Barnes strikes a note of optimism. Barnes is owner and CEO of Employment Research Institute, which has among other companies, EmploymentCrossing, a job aggregator website. “I read about the economy too, but my company has been able to come up with over a list of over 90,000 jobs in a day. So there are firms who are hiring throughout the country.”
One in Six Americans on Government Aid While EmploymentCrossing Finds 90,000 Jobs in a Day
CEO of Employment Research InstituteA. Harrison Barnes "My company has been able to come up with over a list of over 90,000 jobs in a day. So there are firms who are hiring throughout the country.”