Nearly 50% of Americans have fallen into poverty

A RECORD number of Americans — nearly one in two — have fallen into poverty or are scraping by on earnings that classify them as low income.

The latest census data depict a middle class that is shrinking as unemployment stays high. The new numbers follow years of stagnating wages for the middle class that have hurt millions of workers and families.

“Safety net programmes such as food stamps and tax credits kept poverty from rising even higher in 2010, but for many low-income families with work-related and medical expenses, they are considered too rich to qualify,” said Sheldon Danziger, a University of Michigan professor who specialises in poverty.