This post is an update to previous posts concerning food stamps. The program is officially called “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,” or SNAP. As stated on the SNAP website, “As of Oct. 1, 2008, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the new name for the federal Food Stamp Program.”
The data was last updated December 2, 2010, reflecting September 2010 levels.
Here is a table showing various monthly statistics with regard to National Level participation and costs going back to FY2007. As seen in this table, the number of people participating as of September 2010 is 42,911,042, up 16.23% from year-ago (September 2009) levels. As a reference point, the figure as of June 2009 (the official end of the recession as defined by the NBER) was 34,882,031. Longer-term annual data is also available.
As I wrote in the April 12 post, “Of course, what is particularly disconcerting is not only the extent of participation in these programs, but the fact that this is yet another notable statistic that is getting worse well after the purported end of the recession.”
A Special Note concerning our economic situation is found here
SPX at 1276.56 as this post is written