More Californians turn to food stamps

January 18, 2010

The number of Californians receiving food stamps has increased 42 percent since 2007, according to a new report. [San Bernadino Sun]

According to the California Budget Project, nearly 3 million state residents received food stamps last fall. By contrast, in 2007, California ranked second-to-last among the 50 states and was the lowest among the 10 most populous states for people receiving food stamps. Budget analysts point to food stamp usage as an important indicator of how deep the recession is.

Economists suggest that every dollar spent on food stamp benefits increases economic activity by $1.73.