Number of poor In US on the rise

The number of the poor has swelled to almost one in six Americans last year, attributed mostly to the soaring rate of unemployment, while the number without health insurance rose to 49.9 million, the highest in more than two decades. The U.S. Census Bureau also announced Tuesday that, in 2010, the median household income declined. The nation''s official poverty rate reached 15.1 percent, up from 14.3 percent in 2009, the third consecutive annual increase. This converts to 46.2 million people, up from 43.6 million in 2009, the fourth consecutive annual increase and the largest number in the 52 years for which poverty estimates have been published. The official poverty line is determined at an annual income of $22,314 for a family of four.