“The nation’s official poverty rate in 2013 was 14.5 percent, down from 15.0 percent in 2012. The 45.3 million people living at or below the poverty line in 2013, for the third consecutive year, did not represent a statistically significant change from the previous year’s estimate,” said the Census report issued on Tuesday

From [HERE] The United States Census Bureau has said that over 45 million Americans are still living under the poverty line.

Although the poverty rate dipped from the previous year for the first time since 2006, the number of poor people has not declined nor has the real median household income increased.

“The nation’s official poverty rate in 2013 was 14.5 percent, down from 15.0 percent in 2012. The 45.3 million people living at or below the poverty line in 2013, for the third consecutive year, did not represent a statistically significant change from the previous year’s estimate,” said the Census report issued on Tuesday.

“Median household income in the United States in 2013 was $51,939; the change in real terms from the 2012 median of $51,759 was not statistically significant. This is the second consecutive year that the annual change was not statistically significant, following two consecutive annual declines,” added the report.

With 14.5 percent of Americans being poor, the level of poverty is two percent higher than that in late 2007 when the recession began. Although the National Bureau of Economic research believes recession ended in 2009, many US citizens assert that it is still dragging on.

The current trend is the result of US policy makers wholly ignoring the needs of the very poor. In the latest recovery, for instance, the Congress has deprived billions from the government food-stamp program and halted extended unemployment benefits.

In addition, poverty has increased due to the stagnant income among households with millions of people losing their jobs and incomes due to recession.