Photo: Brian Beckman

We all know the situation our country is in right now, so it’s no surprise to find out that our middle class is shrinking tremendously as unemployment rates raise.

According to a recent census, nearly 1 in 2 Americans 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’s shrinking as unemployment stays high and the government’s safety net frays. The new numbers follow years of stagnating wages for the middle class that have hurt millions of workers and families.

“Safety net programs 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 public policy professor who specializes in poverty.

“The reality is that prospects for the poor and the near poor are dismal,” he said. “If Congress and the states make further cuts, we can expect the number of poor and low-income families to rise for the next several years.”

[source]

This touches home because I know there are so many of us out here struggling to make ends meet during this economic crisis. Let’s hope the government can make some major changes to try and get us all back to where we use to be…or better.

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