越来越多的美国人加入贫困行列，向政府寻求帮助。美国人口普查局29日新发布的数据显示，美国家庭收入2008年都有所下降，但是中、低收入家庭下降的幅度最大，致使进入贫困的美国人新增一百多万。报告指出，这导致2008年的美国贫困率上升到13.2%，为11年来的新高。
政府规定的贫困标准为，拥有两个孩子的四口之家年收入少于2.2万美元，或者个人年收入少于1.1万美元。美国人口普查局公布的其它数据显示，向帮助穷人购买食物的政府项目提出申请的美国人数猛增，其中增幅最大的来自两个或以上的成年劳动力家庭。
An increasing number of U.S. citizens are falling into poverty and turning to the government for help.New data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau found household incomes fell for all Americans in 2008 but that the drop was sharpest for middle income and poor families, pushing more than one million additional Americans into poverty.The report said that elevated the U.S. poverty rate for 2008 to 13.2 percent, the highest it has been in 11 years.
The government defines poverty as annual earnings of less than $22,000 for a family of four with two children or earnings of less than $11,000 for one person.Other Census Bureau data found the number of Americans turning to a government program that helps people buy food (the Food Stamps program) jumped, with the greatest increase coming from families with two or more adult workers.