Participation in food stamps, the major U.S. antihunger program, is down for the fitfth month in a row, say USDA data. Some 46.1 million people received food stamps at latest count, down 3 percent since October. Roughly one in seven Americans receive food stamps. Enrollment is highest during times of economic stress and high unemployment rates.
The U.S. unemployment rate remained at 6.3 percent in May but the total of Americans with jobs now is larger than before the recession, the New York Times said.
The record for food stamp enrollment was 47.8 million people in December 2012. Current enrollment is lowest since August 2011. Food stamps were the premiere issue for the 2014 farm bill.