Monday, October 28, 2013

Census Bureau: Means-Tested Gov't Benefit Recipients Outnumber Full-Time Year-Round Workers

(CNSNews.com) - Americans who were recipients of means-tested government benefits in 2011 outnumbered year-round full-time workers, according to data released this month by the Census Bureau. They also out-numbered the total population of the Philippines.

There were 108,592,000 people in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2011 who were recipients of one or more means-tested government benefit programs, the Census Bureau said in data released this week. Meanwhile, according to the Census Bureau, there were 101,716,000 people who worked full-time year round in 2011. That included both private-sector and government workers.

That means there were about 1.07 people getting some form of means-tested government benefit for every 1 person working full-time year round.

When the people who received non-means-tested government benefits from programs such as Social Security, Medicare, unemployment and non-means-tested veterans compensation are added to those who received means-tested government programs such as food stamps, Supplemental Security Income and public housing, the total number of people receiving government benefits from one or more programs in the United States in 2011 climbs to 151,014,000, according to the Census Bureau.

Portions of an article by Terence P. Jeffrey for CNS News dot com

12 comments:

deborah said...

This info would make for an interesting campaign commercial. Or public service announcement.

ricpic said...

They're addicted they're addicted to the government tit,
They're addicted to the government tit....

bagoh20 said...

So we each have a Siamese twin just hanging there, dragging their feet, asking for a bite of everything we eat, but not lifting a hand to help with the work. We're joined at the paycheck, and separation could be fatal. How about at least a reach around on Friday night?

Sydney said...

So that's how Obama won re-election.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Depressing!

(I'm saying that in my most happy sing-songie voice)

Calypso Facto said...

Not a direct comparison, because the means-tested portion is "number of people in a HOUSEHOLD that receives a means-tested benefit" (so lots of over-counting there including all the children who benefit and obviously have no age-comparative correlation to the "workers" group).

Still, overall, a terrible sign.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

More takers than makers. The ratio = tits.

john said...

Its also likely that some full time workers also get means-tested government benefits.

So it might be even worse than this stat.

john said...

Its also likely that some full time workers also get means-tested government benefits.

So it might be even worse than this stat.

Icepick said...

This economy brought to you by the frauds that preach sustainability.

edutcher said...

Some of those people are on disability or food stamps because their unemployment ran out.

When (if) the economy ever comes back, a lot of them will bail and get a real job. Living on short rations if you're honest isn't a lot of fun.

XRay said...

I am a full time worker, who also served twenty years in the military. Should I feel guilty at receiving my monthly retirement check?