28 million people in the US on Food Stamps

[abcd]

USA 2008: The Great Depression
Food stamps are the symbol of poverty in the US. In the era of the credit crunch, a record 28 million Americans are now relying on them to survive – a sure sign the world's richest country faces economic crisis

By David Usborne in New York
Tuesday, 1 April 2008


We knew things were bad on Wall Street, but on Main Street it may be worse. Startling official statistics show that as a new economic recession stalks the United States, a record number of Americans will shortly be depending on food stamps just to feed themselves and their families.


Dismal projections by the Congressional Budget Office in Washington suggest that in the fiscal year starting in October, 28 million people in the US will be using government food stamps to buy essential groceries, the highest level since the food assistance programme was introduced in the 1960s.

The increase – from 26.5 million in 2007 – is due partly to recent efforts to increase public awareness of the programme and also a switch from paper coupons to electronic debit cards. But above all it is the pressures being exerted on ordinary Americans by an economy that is suddenly beset by troubles. Housing foreclosures, accelerating jobs losses and fast-rising prices all add to the squeeze.

Emblematic of the downturn until now has been the parades of houses seized in foreclosure all across the country, and myriad families separated from their homes. But now the crisis is starting to hit the country in its gut. Getting food on the table is a challenge many Americans are finding harder to meet. As a barometer of the country's economic health, food stamp usage may not be perfect, but can certainly tell a story.

Michigan has been in its own mini-recession for years as its collapsing industrial base, particularly in the car industry, has cast more and more out of work. Now, one in eight residents of the state is on food stamps, double the level in 2000. "We have seen a dramatic increase in recent years, but we have also seen it climbing more in recent months," Maureen Sorbet, a spokeswoman for Michigan's programme, said. "It's been increasing steadily. Without the programme, some families and kids would be going without."

But the trend is not restricted to the rust-belt regions. Forty states are reporting increases in applications for the stamps, actually electronic cards that are filled automatically once a month by the government and are swiped by shoppers at the till, in the 12 months from December 2006. At least six states, including Florida, Arizona and Maryland, have had a 10 per cent increase in the past year.

In Rhode Island, the segment of the population on food stamps has risen by 18 per cent in two years. The food programme started 40 years ago when hunger was still a daily fact of life for many Americans. The recent switch from paper coupons to the plastic card system has helped remove some of the stigma associated with the food stamp programme. The card can be swiped as easily as a bank debit card. To qualify for the cards, Americans do not have to be exactly on the breadline. The programme is available to people whose earnings are just above the official poverty line. For Hubert Liepnieks, the card is a lifeline he could never afford to lose. Just out of prison, he sleeps in overnight shelters in Manhattan and uses the card at a Morgan Williams supermarket on East 23rd Street. Yesterday, he and his fiancée, Christine Schultz, who is in a wheelchair, shared one banana and a cup of coffee bought with the 82 cents left on it.

"They should be refilling it in the next three or four days," Liepnieks says. At times, he admits, he and friends bargain with owners of the smaller grocery shops to trade the value of their cards for cash, although it is illegal. "It can be done. I get $7 back on $10."

Richard Enright, the manager at this Morgan Williams, says the numbers of customers on food stamps has been steady but he expects that to rise soon. "In this location, it's still mostly old people and people who have retired from city jobs on stamps," he says. Food stamp money was designed to supplement what people could buy rather than covering all the costs of a family's groceries. But the problem now, Mr Enright says, is that soaring prices are squeezing the value of the benefits.

"Last St Patrick's Day, we were selling Irish soda bread for $1.99. This year it was $2.99. Prices are just spiralling up, because of the cost of gas trucking the food into the city and because of commodity prices. People complain, but I tell them it's not my fault everything is more expensive."

The US Department of Agriculture says the cost of feeding a low-income family of four has risen 6 per cent in 12 months. "The amount of food stamps per household hasn't gone up with the food costs," says Dayna Ballantyne, who runs a food bank in Des Moines, Iowa. "Our clients are finding they aren't able to purchase food like they used to."

And the next monthly job numbers, to be released this Friday, are likely to show 50,000 more jobs were lost nationwide in March, and the unemployment rate is up to perhaps 5 per cent.

Independent.co.uk

[furik]

So what? 28 million divided by 300 million (total population of U.S.) is less than 10%. The poverty rate in UK is is about 14% (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_percentage_of_population_livi ng_in_poverty). I am sure poverty levels is much worse in a lot of other countries, it is other countries don't give any food stamps.

[melo]

So what? 28 million divided by 300 million (total population of U.S.) is less than 10%. The poverty rate in UK is is about 14% (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_percentage_of_population_livi ng_in_poverty). I am sure poverty levels is much worse in a lot of other countries, it is other countries don't give any food stamps.


The US poverty rate is much higher than 14%. ;) The difference is living poor in a rich country is more difficult due to relatively high prices. Not many countries are less socialized than the US either.

[SAMARKANDI!]

The US poverty rate is much higher than 14%. ;) The difference is living poor in a rich country is more difficult due to relatively high prices. Not many countries are less socialized than the US either.

What is exactly poor in your opinion? Is it not being able to eat bread, meat, or drink clean water by being limited/deprived from means to earn them or is it being unable to buy fruits, sousage, juice or rent an apt, buy a car...when there are plenty of ways to earn them???

I think many poor people in Uzb or any other non-western countries would prefer living in that relatively difficult conditions to living in their present, definitely horrible conditions, by that I mean you are absolutely wrong. It is much better being poor in US than in Uzb.

[melo]

What is exactly poor in your opinion? Is it not being able to eat bread, meat, or drink clean water by being limited/deprived from means to earn them or is it being unable to buy fruits, sousage, juice or rent an apt, buy a car...when there are plenty of ways to earn them???

I think many poor people in Uzb or any other non-western countries would prefer living in that relatively difficult conditions than living in their present relatively horrible conditions, by that I mean you are absolutely wrong. It is much better being poor in US than in Uzb.

Many people would not agree with you. You are looking from an educated person's point of view. You are making it all too simple.

The chances of spending considerable time in jail, having one or no parents, extreme obesity, drug and alcohol abuse are much higher for americans living in poverty. No offense, but this is a much worse life than you are talking about. Not all areas of the US have clean water or chances to earn money either. Would you rather live in Compton or a village in Uzbekistan? We can compare health conditions and life expectancy if you want. ;)

[SAMARKANDI!]

Many people would not agree with you. You are looking from an educated person's point of view. You are making it all too simple.

The chances of spending considerable time in jail, having one or no parents, extreme obesity, drug and alcohol abuse are much higher for americans living in poverty. No offense, but this is a much worse life than you are talking about. Not all areas of the US have clean water or chances to earn money either. Would you rather live in Compton or a village in Uzbekistan? We can compare health conditions and life expectancy if you want. ;)

Perhaps some uzbeks would prefer living in US jails to struggling somewhere in an uzbek village.

If we go back to our point which was the definition of being poor, obesity, drugs and alcohol are again pointing to the fact that being poor in US is quite different than in Uzb and some other countries, proving you wrong in your original post one more time. Those poors have money to buy drugs, alcohol and to get obese. Poor Uzbek? they dont have money to buy bread or meat, let alone 1 gr dope.

Regarding living in Comptown or in an uzbek village. if u ask a poor uzbek, he would rather walk to another city or state in US than living in a village in Uzb.

[melo]

Perhaps some uzbeks would prefer living in US jails to struggling somewhere in an uzbek village.

If we go back to our point which was the definition of being poor, obesity, drugs and alcohol are again pointing to the fact that being poor in US is quite different than in Uzb and some other countries, proving you wrong in your original post one more time. Those poors have money to buy drugs, alcohol and to get obese. Poor Uzbek? they dont have money to buy bread or meat, let alone 1 gr dope.

Regarding living in Comptown or in an uzbek village. if u ask a poor uzbek, he would rather walk to another city or state than living in a village in Uzb.

You and I know that is not how life works. :shock: Nobody would prefer living in a US jail. :? You make a similar argument to the one that says Black people are better off in the US than in AFrica and they should be happy to be here. It's not a good argument. :rolleyes:

[SAMARKANDI!]

You and I know that is not how life works. :shock: Nobody would prefer living in a US jail. :? You make a similar argument to the one that says Black people are better off in the US than in AFrica and they should be happy to be here. It's not a good argument. :rolleyes:

I am not saying the poor in US have wonderful lives, I perfectly know it is difficult for them. I am simply talking about their relative differences with the poor people from other non-western countries. Living in an environment where you have zero to nothing chances to earn decent money to live normal life and living in a place where u have at least an opportunity to make money to buy bread and meat and if tried harder living even a decent life is the difference I am trying to point out. In other words different conditions which give no or some chances to poor people.

[melo]

I am not saying the poor in US have wonderful lives, I perfectly know it is difficult for them. I am simply talking about their relative differences with the poor people from other non-western countries. Living in an environment where you have zero to nothing chances to earn decent money to live normal life and living in a place where u have at least an opportunity to make money to buy bread and meat and if tried harder living even a decent life is the difference I am trying to point out. In other words different conditions which give no or some chances to poor people.

You might just be trading a chance to buy more stuff for other negatives that you are not thinking about. It is not the easy decision you are making it out to be. I would guess many uneducated immigrants who come to the US probably decide later they had made a bad decision. If we are talking about coming for a limited time to make money and leave that is a different issue. I would not argue with you if you chose some other "western" countries to be poor in, but the US is an interesting case. It just happens to be the country more open to immigrants.

[furik]

You might just be trading a chance to buy more stuff for other negatives that you are not thinking about. It is not the easy decision you are making it out to be. I would guess many uneducated immigrants who come to the US probably decide later they had made a bad decision. If we are talking about coming for a limited time to make money and leave that is a different issue. I would not argue with you if you chose some other "western" countries to be poor in, but the US is an interesting case. It just happens to be the country more open to immigrants.

I disagree with "You might just be trading a chance to buy more stuff for other negatives that you are not thinking about". You are trying to make him look more materialistic in an attempt to disqualify.
1) There is nothing wrong if an individual looks for security, whether it is a job security, financial security, etc. U.S. happens to be country which in my opinion provides this security. I don't want to sit and worry what I am going to buy tomorrow for food, as a lot of people do in Uzbekistan. If anything, there are food stamps :). I earn very good salary, and I live modestly, my car is fairly new but I bought used. I can afford a new and bigger car, but I don't want. I don't even have lcd tv. I can afford it, but I don't need it. But I do know this, I spend at university about 10 years, all my investment in the human capital, my skills would not get paid as much anywhere else. I do think , given my skills and training, I will be most productive in States. And my goal is not to buy a little bit more of things, but make enough money so I don't have work anymore, or do something that I like more. And US with its developed capital markets and liberal business environment allows me to do it.

2)Ask any immigrant what he likes about U.S. and the answer is not going to be "buy more things". The answer is "more freedom". Freedom to do whatever you want, criticize whatever you want, run a business without interruptions. I doubt i would have this opportunity in Uzbekistan. There are certain limitations to that, but comparatively, it does not get better than this.

If an uneducated immigrant comes here and regrets it, he can leave. It is easy, just leave. If they are here, it is because they choose to be here, no one is forcing them to be here. This argument reminds me of every Russian taxi driver i met. They all bitch and moan about U.S., but when I ask them why don't they go back, they tell me "where am I going to go?" To me, this answer does not make sense because, I don't like it somewhere, enough to bitch about to strangers, I would just pack and go somewhere else, where things are better. If there is no such place, then, things are as good as they are going to get. And it is not like they (cab drivers) can't go back, they go visit Russia on a regular basis, their relatives are there... They go back, look at the sh*t, realize why U.S. is better and come back. As simple as that.

Another argument that you are making is that U.S. is more friendly toward immigrants. I completely agree with that, I see a lot of foreigners from Europe coming here. And they are often citizens there. They have all this great social benefits (that comes with big taxes of course), medicine, education, and they come here. Look at all small businesses: dry cleanings, hotels, convenience stores, fast food chains, almost all run by immigrants. Look at the top researchers/professors in this country: all immigrants. Why? Because here I can be foreigner, and run my own business, get rich, get promoted to the highest ranks of the corporations, just because I work hard. Not because of my parents, of my money, but because of my ability.

Your argument about jails: it is true that U.S. have highest percentage of incarcerated people. This could be because of 2 reasons: 1) a lot of crimes that are persecuted in U.S. are not actively persecuted anywhere else. Case in point: rapes: date rapes, sexual assault. While rapes happens everywhere, in U.S. women are more likely to report it because of feminism, women right,etc. For example, in Uzbekistan, some regions (mostly populated by Kazakh)have custom where a guy "kidnaps" a girl, basically rapes her, and then she is forced to get married to him. In U.S. that would be considered a rape and reported as a statistic. Back home it is reported as a marriage (hopefully a happy one). Example, a guy takes a girl on a date, gets her drunk, sleeps with her, next day she reports, he is in jail. Another example, domestic abuse. I used to live with my relatives, where one of my relative would regularly beat his wife up. In U.S., someone (often neighbors, relatives or wife herself) would quickly report it. In Uzbekistan, this would have never happened. Instead she would go back to her parents place, after a week her parents would bring her back, whole bunch of relatives would come and meddle, and then whole cycle would repeat. (I am not trying to judge our culture here, but merely illustrating a point). Second reason for higher crimes, is that a lot of people who go to jail here are (my impression) plain stupid. When cops trying to stop them they speed, bunch of rich kids do drugs, stupid kid brings gun and starts shooting people, basically bunch of retards, who don't understand the consequences of their actions.

My experience with police here was a cop giving me a speeding ticket. I contested in court, asked for documents from police that show when the radar he used was not calibrated, brought this evidence in court and ticket got dismissed. Imagine in Uzbekistan, I would just pay a bribe and move on. Here I can argue with a police officer in the court and requests document from police. Would that happen back home? In addition, the chances of an arbitrary incarceration, for thing that you did not do, or for things that are not illegal otherwise such as criticizing the government, and not having access to the fair trail are greater in a lot of other countries comparing to U.S. You are more likely to go jail if you protest against the government back home than here. As long as you are in U.S., you can always hire a lawyer and go through the process.

Your argument about "it is harder to be poor in U.S. because there are a lot of rich people here" does not make sense. By the same logic, you can that it is easier to be poor in Africa because there are a lot poor people there? I rather be poor in a rich country because 1) it is more likely to have rich government and with strong welfare (i.e. food stamps :) ), 2) if these people became rich on their own, it means I can too.

Your arguments about being obese, buying drugs or alcohol do not make sense either. These things, doing drugs, doing things that you are going to go to jail, not having a good job, all involve CHOICE. Unless you have some kind of disease that slows your metabolism, you are fat by choice. You made a decision to eat bad food, no one forced you to do that. You have a bad job, get another one, go to college, read a book. You choose to do drugs, you choose to do something illegal. I met drug dealers before who offered me to buy weed, I choose not to do it. I can go to a alcohol store, buy alcohol, and drink it all day, but i choose not to do it. You can make these bad choices everywhere, in U.S., in Uzbekistan, in Zimbabwe, in Amsterdam. Do you know why I did not make them? Because I have a brain and I realize the consequences of my actions. I don't need religion to tell me what I can and can't do, and I am against prohibiting people from selling alcohol for example. I can restrain myself from not doing something that I know is not good for me, and if I am capable of realizing that, I think any other normal human being can too. And if I make a bad choice, I will take a full responsibility for that, and I will blame only myself. Not the guy who sold me beer/sandwich/weed/ etc.

I am not trying to make U.S. an ideal country, by any means it has a lot problems. If there were a better country in terms of economic choices and freedoms, I would consider moving there. But relatively to anything else, I don't see a better option at this point for ME. It does not have to be true for anyone else. And honestly, melo, if you are unhappy here, why don't you search a better place for you? I am not trying to be hostile, but if I were unhappy here, I would pack my sh*t and get out.

[rosefire]

America's Recession-Proof Cities




By Joshua Zumbrun, Forbes.com
May 9th, 2008



ARTICLE TOOLS:
Nationally, home prices are falling, unemployment is on the rise and the economy is expected to grow slowly--or even contract--in the first half of the year.
But some cities are doing just fine.
Take Oklahoma City, Okla (http://realestate.yahoo.com/Oklahoma/Oklahoma_City/Homes_for_sale/result.html;_ylt=AvJFcUSCiSZqoKHzNjdqymnxkdEF;_ylu =X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--). With falling unemployment, one of the country's strongest housing markets, and solid growth in agriculture, energy and manufacturing, it looks best positioned among the nation's largest metropolitan areas to ride out the current crisis.

In Pictures: 10 Recession-Proof Cities (http://www.forbes.com/2008/04/29/cities-recession-places-forbeslife-cx_jz_0429realestate_slide_2.html?partner=yahoore)
http://f3.yahoofs.com/ymg/promo/promo-470869799-1210361962.jpg?ymqxjW_Cuduik6Ep (http://www.forbes.com/2008/04/29/cities-recession-places-forbeslife-cx_jz_0429realestate_slide_2.html?partner=yahoore)

San Antonio (http://realestate.yahoo.com/Texas;_ylt=AmiWiwEeuASlV3gfJcmY1CfxkdEF;_ylu=X3oDM TA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--/San_Antonio/Homes_for_sale/result.html;_ylt=AgSHGHo95fipsVC_lKS1y.7xkdEF;_ylu =X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--) is right behind. It also features solid employment figures and affordable home prices that continue to rise. Its industries are growing; it can't hurt that the new AT&T was formed when San Antonio-based SBC Communications swallowed the old AT&T Corp. and BellSouth.
The others holding steady or improving include Austin, Texas (http://realestate.yahoo.com/Texas;_ylt=AmiWiwEeuASlV3gfJcmY1CfxkdEF;_ylu=X3oDM TA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--/Austin/Homes_for_sale/result.html;_ylt=AvFbZRkzKhNs3DGGnAkhIR7xkdEF;_ylu =X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--); Houston (http://realestate.yahoo.com/Texas;_ylt=AmiWiwEeuASlV3gfJcmY1CfxkdEF;_ylu=X3oDM TA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--/Houston/Homes_for_sale/result.html;_ylt=AoLbf7IlJdQizqAsOBt7eijxkdEF;_ylu =X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--); Charlotte, N.C. (http://realestate.yahoo.com/North_Carolina/Charlotte/Homes_for_sale/result.html;_ylt=As0CWlQrv4ZkNQgJge2AjxvxkdEF;_ylu =X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--); Dallas (http://realestate.yahoo.com/Texas;_ylt=AmiWiwEeuASlV3gfJcmY1CfxkdEF;_ylu=X3oDM TA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--/Dallas/Homes_for_sale/result.html;_ylt=AsmqTOLKARCfWYr7mO8xYELxkdEF;_ylu =X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--); San Jose, Calif. (http://realestate.yahoo.com/California/San_Jose/Homes_for_sale/result.html;_ylt=AkC8JudSW7FxtIm6L8BOtO3xkdEF;_ylu =X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--); Raleigh, N.C. (http://realestate.yahoo.com/North_Carolina/Raleigh/Homes_for_sale/result.html;_ylt=Aj7mBIm2QG3XhqgY9AQewXrxkdEF;_ylu =X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--); Salt Lake City (http://realestate.yahoo.com/Utah/Salt_Lake_City/Homes_for_sale/result.html;_ylt=AhT8MwfKlwOucH0yBCVP0CjxkdEF;_ylu =X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--); and Seattle (http://realestate.yahoo.com/Washington/Seattle/Homes_for_sale/result.html;_ylt=AgdN4272WlYO_2Mr6_DO7.fxkdEF;_ylu =X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--).
Behind The Numbers
To find them, Forbes.com examined the country's 50 largest metros and looked at several key measures.
We examined unemployment data supplied by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for the year ending in February 2008 to see which areas are most adding or subtracting jobs. Next, we looked at the BLS data on job growth in non-farm payrolls, through February 2008, for construction, education and health services, financial activities, information, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, natural resources and mining, professional and business services, trade, transportation and utilities, and the BLS's catch-all category, "other services."
We also took into account median home price data from the National Association of Realtors--from the fourth quarter of 2006 to the fourth quarter of 2007--to see which areas posted the largest annual gains. Our data don't account for the impact of declining sales in the first several months of this year.
Finally, our rankings were adjusted using data from a November 2007 report, "U.S. Metro Economies: The Mortgage Crisis," by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. It lists each city's estimated gross metropolitan product growth by projecting how rising foreclosures and falling home prices would affect overall levels of productivity in local economies.
Sunny Southern Skies
Texas (http://realestate.yahoo.com/Texas;_ylt=AmiWiwEeuASlV3gfJcmY1CfxkdEF;_ylu=X3oDM TA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--) cities fared best under these measures. San Antonio (http://realestate.yahoo.com/Texas;_ylt=AmiWiwEeuASlV3gfJcmY1CfxkdEF;_ylu=X3oDM TA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--/San_Antonio/neighborhoods), Austin (http://realestate.yahoo.com/Texas;_ylt=AmiWiwEeuASlV3gfJcmY1CfxkdEF;_ylu=X3oDM TA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--/Austin/neighborhoods), Houston (http://realestate.yahoo.com/Texas;_ylt=AmiWiwEeuASlV3gfJcmY1CfxkdEF;_ylu=X3oDM TA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--/Houston/neighborhoods) and Dallas-Fort Worth (http://realestate.yahoo.com/Texas;_ylt=AmiWiwEeuASlV3gfJcmY1CfxkdEF;_ylu=X3oDM TA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--/Dallas/neighborhoods) have benefited from historically lower home prices, which have been affordable to a large segment of the population. The availability of land--and, in some cases, little zoning--helped keep prices in these cities low. Instead of competing for homes, Texans could move to a new subdivision a little farther out.
What's more, all four boast falling unemployment rates, with Austin dropping from 3.8% to 3.6% and San Antonio from 4.3% to 4%.
Cities that are expected to see growth in non-farm payrolls include Raleigh (http://realestate.yahoo.com/North_Carolina/Raleigh/neighborhoods;_ylt=Asan0QHGPwpiDbDTiqWlCpTxkdEF;_y lu=X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--;_ylt=AjUsyPic7vPIpYBgBDGPmKXxkdEF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aT ZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--), (http://realestate.yahoo.com/North_Carolina/Raleigh/neighborhoods;_ylt=Asan0QHGPwpiDbDTiqWlCpTxkdEF;_y lu=X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--;_ylt=AjUsyPic7vPIpYBgBDGPmKXxkdEF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aT ZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--) which is expected to see 7.4% growth in professional and business services and 6% growth in education and health. In Salt Lake City (http://realestate.yahoo.com/Utah/Salt_Lake_City/neighborhoods;_ylt=AgA4bYA3vSkZcDLAYnuN8ZrxkdEF;_y lu=X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--), where the median home price rose 2.5% and unemployment, at 3.1%, is below the 5.1% national average, growth in education and health services is expected to be 5.5%.
Some cities have seen increasing home prices but otherwise continue to struggle. Buffalo (http://realestate.yahoo.com/New_York/Buffalo/Homes_for_sale/result.html;_ylt=AscRGoFUeRkO_CG2gmo42zDxkdEF;_ylu =X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--) and Rochester, N.Y. (http://realestate.yahoo.com/New_York/Rochester/Homes_for_sale/result.html;_ylt=AoURJl1oTPyC.qYbgC6VnWHxkdEF;_ylu =X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--), have seen home price growth (from a low base) but still contend with high unemployment--around 6%--and slow-growing or shrinking industries.
And in the San Jose (http://realestate.yahoo.com/California/San_Jose/neighborhoods;_ylt=ApxusW4HcwLDeFumIx4Wg.LxkdEF;_y lu=X3oDMTA5aTZoZm40BHNlYwNwcm9tbw--) area, the median home sale price is over $830,000. That's 11% higher than it was in the fourth quarter of 2006, helping to land the area at No. 4 on our list. Problem is, that growth has since cooled, and it remains to be seen whether pricey homes coupled with a 5.3% unemployment rate will cause trouble for homeowners this year.
To be sure, even in the most resilient cities, the mortgage crisis has caused suffering. People everywhere got into bad mortgages. Similarly, even in the most battered cities, the majority of people are employed and making their mortgage payments. The extent of recession or resilience is very much in the eye of the beholder, and this list represents only one of many ways to take a snapshot of economies that are standing tall.
In his statements to Congress' Joint Economic Committee earlier this month, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke predicted the economy would possibly move into recession in the first half of 2008 but begin to rebound in the second half.
If you're tired of waiting, these might be the best places to go.


http://promo.realestate.yahoo.com/americas-recession-proof-cities.html

just came across this article and wanted to share, it might be useful for some who are thinking about relocating
i hope it is somehow related to this thread's topic. didn't know where else to post