Perilous Times
3 September 2011 Last updated at 11:39 ET
Number of Americans in poverty hits record high
A homeless man begging for money in Los Angeles on 22 August
President Obama last week launched a new jobs plan to try to
increase employment opportunities
BBC - The number of Americans living in poverty rose to a record
46.2 million last year, official data has shown.
This is the highest figure since the US Census Bureau started
collecting the data in 1959.
In percentage terms, the poverty rate rose to 15.1%, up from 14.3%
in 2009.
The US definition of poverty is an annual income of $22,314
(£14,129) or less for a family of four and $11,139 for a single
person.
The number of Americans living below the poverty line has now
risen for four years in a row, while the poverty rate is the
biggest since 1993.
Poverty among black and Hispanic people was much higher than for
the overall US population last year, the figures also showed.
The Census Bureau data said 25.8% of black people were living in
poverty and 25.3% of Hispanic people.
Its latest report also showed that the average annual US household
income fell 2.3% in 2010 to $49,445.
Meanwhile, the number of Americans without health insurance
remained about 50 million.
The data comes as the US unemployment rate remains above 9%.
President Barack Obama last week launched a new $450bn job
creation plan.
He wants to fund huge construction projects, schools and services,
while giving tax cuts to workers and small businesses to boost
recruitment.
However, his plans require backing from Congress, where
Republicans - who control the House of Representatives - have
voiced their opposition.