Changes in income and employment have been the primary focus of data tracked by the Center on Human Needs in our efforts to measure societal distress as Americans cope with the recession.  Indeed, according to the U.S. Census Bureau data captured on our website, median income since 2007 when the recession began has declined by 6%, from $52,823 to $49,445 in 2010, the lowest income has fallen since 1996.  The percentage of the population living in poverty has also increased from 12.5% in 2007 to 15.1% in 2010.<\/p>\n

But the impact of the recession is evident in other metrics of the well-being of the American family as well.  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that between 2007 and 2008–the first years of the recession–the prevalence of food insecurity among American households increased by a relative rate of 32% from 11.1% to 14.6%.  In the most recent release of data, the prevalence remains at 14.5%, exhibiting little sign of recovery.  In addition, the prevalence of very low food insecurity–a measure of an even more precarious household situation in getting enough food–increased from 4.1% in 2007 to 5.7% in 2008 and remains at 5.4% in 2010.<\/p>\n

The Heldrich’s report suggests that in response to dire economic situations, some families are resorting to cutting back on medical care they would have otherwise received.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that between 2007 and 2010, the percentage of Americans under the age of 65 who were uninsured increased from 16.8% to 18.5%.  During the same time frame, the percentage of persons who did not receive medical care due to cost increased from 5.8% in 2007 to 6.8% in 2010.<\/p>\n