Report: Nearly 1 In 7 Americans Were Poor In '09

by Pam Fessler, NPR

About 43.6 million people were poor last year in the United States. But the poverty rate didn't go as high as some had predicted. Demographers with the U.S. Census Bureau, which released the figures Thursday, said unemployment benefits helped to cushion some of the impact of the recession.

Broadcast Dates

• Morning Edition, September 16, 2010