And people use the greater part of their disposable income on housing and food. The local news reported food prices are rising and I see it every time I go to the store. My own calculations say they have risen 15=20% based on what I paid a few months ago. That said, if you can't afford food it doesn't matter what the percentages are. Food banks across the country are reporting they can't keep their pantries stocked.
Higher food prices are here, and don't expect a break soon
“Have a big, juicy ham on the Christmas menu? Need some butter to bake those holiday cookies? Hope you're willing to pay a little — and in some cases a lot — more.
Just as the holiday season hits, food prices are rising — especially on those items you'll need to cook for all those gatherings and the staples you always keep stocked in the kitchen.
Think meats, milk, eggs, cheese and sugar.
Overall, food prices are increasing, and economists say they will keep climbing next year.”…cont…
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2010-11-30-food-prices_N.htm“U.S. steak, burger lovers face beefier prices
Beef prices were up 6 percent in December 2010 caused by increased cost of feed and fewer heads of cattle.”…cont…
http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/us-steak-burger-lovers-face-beefier-prices“Poverty in the United States is cyclical in nature with roughly 13 to 17% of Americans living below the federal poverty line at any given point in time, and roughly 40% falling below the poverty line at some point within a 10-year time span. Poverty is defined as the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions.<1> Approximately 43.6 million Americans”…cont…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_United_States“One of the most disturbing and extraordinary aspects of life in this very wealthy country is the persistence of hunger. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that in 2008:
“Record Number Of U.S. Households Face Hunger
November 15, 2010
The number of Americans who struggled to get enough food last year remained at a record high, according to a report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
More than 50 million Americans lived in households that had a hard time getting enough to eat at least at some point during 2009. That includes 17 million children, and at least a half-million of those children faced the direst conditions. They had inadequate diets, or even missed meals, because their families didn't have enough money for food.
"Household food insecurity remains a serious problem across the United States," says Agriculture Undersecretary Kevin Concannon.
He says there's a reason the hunger numbers hit a record high in 2008 and stayed there in 2009: a struggling economy.”…cont…
http://www.npr.org/2010/11/15/131328286/record-number-of-u-s-households-face-hunger“Record Number of Americans Continue to Go Hungry
One in seven, or 14.7 percent, of American households suffered from food insecurity in 2009, according to the most recent data on hunger released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). While the numbers remain unchanged since 2008, they are still the highest recorded levels since the USDA first began publishing figures on food insecurity.
“These numbers are still far too high. There are 12.9 million households in all of California, and the number of U.S. households who struggle to put food on the table is higher still than that. We must do more and we must do it better,” said Bread for the World President David Beckmann. “With record-breaking unemployment rates and the impact of the recession, Congress needs to ensure that programs designed to mitigate hunger — like SNAP, the national school meal programs, and WIC — are well-funded.”
The most recent data was released as Congress reconvenes for its lame duck session. Several important items on the congressional agenda remain unfinished. They include extending tax benefits for low-income working families and reauthorizing the Child Nutrition Act, which will improve the school breakfast and lunch programs along with WIC and summer food sites.
Currently about 42 million people—more than one in eight Americans—participate each month in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called food stamps). This figure is projected to rise to 43.3 million in 2011. “
http://www.bread.org/media/releases/record-number-of-americans.html