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Tuesday, January 4, 2011

But, oh, yeah, YOU just voted Republicans back in the House

From Alternet today:

10 Signs That Our Nation Is Becoming Poorer


The Working Poor Families Project has discovered that the number of working poor in the United States is higher than ever and it continues to increase at a staggering pace.


#1 In 2009, total wages, median wages, and average wages all declined in the United States.

#2 Since the year 2000, we have lost 10% of our middle class jobs. In the year 2000 there were about 72 million middle class jobs in the United States but today there are only about 65 million middle class jobs. Meanwhile, our population is getting larger.

#3 As 2007 began, only 26 million Americans were on food stamps, but now 42 million Americans are on food stamps and that number keeps rising every single month.

#4 Since 2001, over 42,000 U.S. factories have closed down for good.

#5 One out of every six Americans is now enrolled in at least one anti-poverty program run by the federal government.

#6 Half of all American workers now earn $505 or less per week.

#7 The number of Americans working part-time jobs "for economic reasons" is now the highest it has been in at least five decades.

#8 Ten years ago, the United States was ranked number one in average wealth per adult. In 2010, the United States has fallen to seventh.

#9 In 1976, the top 1 percent of earners in the United States took in 8.9 percent of all income. By 2007, that number had risen to 23.5 percent.


#10 According to one recent study, approximately 21 percent of all children in the United States are living below the poverty line in 2010.

Corporate America--and the wealthy of the country--thank you.

Link to original post:  http://www.alternet.org/economy/149405/10_signs_that_our_nation_is_becoming_poorer?page=entire

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