Four million Americans fall into poverty in one year

One in seven Americans now live on or below the poverty line, according to figures published by the U.S. Census Bureau. It is the sharpest annual rise for three decades, and analysts predicted next year’s figures will be even worse. According to the bureau, 43.6 million people or 14.3 percent of the population were in poverty in 2009, up from 39.8 million in 2008. This is the third consecutive annual rise. The hardest-hit are African-Americans and Hispanics. The Guardian reports.