Number of South Floridians on food stamps continues to hit record high

The number of Floridians on food stamps continues to hit record numbers -- with South Florida having an increase of more than 1.5 percent in May, said a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Children & Families that oversees the federal food program.

The total number of Floridians on food stamps was up 1.2 percent in May to 3.4 million, a relatively small increase compared to the big jumps during the Great Recession, said DCF press secretary Erin Gillespie.But, she said, "we had thought it might go down."

Florida has been among the few states where underemployment involved one out of five workers who were either out of work or looking to pick up more hours to earn more money, according to Gallup Daily Tracking done earlier this year.

"We need growth in the job sector," said Patrice Schroeder of 211 Palm Beach/Treasure Coast. Some jobless are applying for food stamps because they’ve exhausted their savings.

Others find low-paying or part-time work and still need food stamps to help feed their families, added Chris McCarty, director of the University of Florida’s Survey Research Center in the Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

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Number of South Floridians on food stamps continues to hit record high - SunSentinel - June 11, 2012