Another indicator of how well an economy is doing is how many of the country’s people are on government assistance. One of the avenues that the government provides aid comes in the form of food stamps. If the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) latest numbers prove anything, it’s that fewer Americans are relying on the government for their next meal.
According to data from the USDA, the number of people receiving food stamps as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has decreased by 1,696,476 recipients during fiscal year (FY) 2019, with three months to left to be reported.
During President Donald Trump’s administration, an astonishing 6,268,285 people left SNAP, meaning they no longer receive food stamps. The data set for the Trump administration begins the first full month the president was in office until present day (June 2019), which is the last month the USDA has numbers for.
FY 2018 saw the largest decrease in the past few years of reporting. That fiscal year, which spans from October the previous year to September of the labeled fiscal year, saw 8,039,051 individuals leave SNAP.
It’s important to note that the USDA indicated that “data reports” for both North Carolina and Rhode Island from February 2018 “through current month” are “missing.”
Whatever the case, it’s an encouraging sign that more and more people are turning a corner and providing for themselves.
H/T: Daily Caller