Washington:
The Census Bureau in America has reported that the number of Americans living in poverty jumped to 14.3 percent in 2009, with the ranks of working-age poor reaching the highest since at least 1965.
About 43.6 million people, or 1 in 7, were in poverty. That is up from 39.8 million, or 13.2 percent, in 2008.
The number of people lacking health insurance rose from 46.3 million to 50.7 million, due mostly to the loss of employer-provided health insurance during the recession. Congress passed a health overhaul law earlier this year.
The statistics released Thursday cover President Barack Obama's first year in office, when unemployment climbed to 10 percent in the months after the financial meltdown.
The median - or midpoint - household income was $49,777.
About 43.6 million people, or 1 in 7, were in poverty. That is up from 39.8 million, or 13.2 percent, in 2008.
The number of people lacking health insurance rose from 46.3 million to 50.7 million, due mostly to the loss of employer-provided health insurance during the recession. Congress passed a health overhaul law earlier this year.
The statistics released Thursday cover President Barack Obama's first year in office, when unemployment climbed to 10 percent in the months after the financial meltdown.
The median - or midpoint - household income was $49,777.
