An alarming data point from the minority side of the Senate Budget
Committee: More Americans are being added to food stamps than are
finding jobs. The data is detailed in this chart, provided by the
committee:
As the chart shows, between April-June 2012 (the most recent three
month block for which government data is available), only 200,000 jobs
have been created while 265,000 individuals have been added to the food
stamp rolls. Additionally, in that time period, 246,000 workers were
awarded disability.
Another chart shows that the last three month block is part of a
larger trend. The chart, also from the minority side of the Senate
Budget Committee, shows that "Workforce Shrinks Since January 2009 While
Millions Sign Up For Disability And Food Stamps."
As the chart shows, since January 2009, when President Barack Obama
took office, the net change jobs has been negative (-1.3 million), while
5.7 million workers and dependents have been awarded disability and a
whopping 15.1 million have been added to the food stamp rolls.
"A total of 46,670,373 Americans are now on food stamps," according
to the minority side of the Senate Budget Committee. "The food stamp
program has doubled in size since 2008 and quadrupled since 2001."
And the government program isn't cheap: "Spending on food stamps alone is projected to reach $770 billion over the next decade."