Ending Hunger in America, 2014 Hunger Report Full Report | Page 26

A Jobs Agenda
Nothing is more important to achieving immediate progress against hunger than a robust
recovery from the Great Recession. As we all know by now, the recession that started in
December 2007 and lasted until June 2009 was the worst in three generations, and the
damage it caused lingers on.
More than four years since the official end of the reces“Getting back to full
sion, the economy staggers along. It’s not working up to its
employment takes us
potential: there is an output gap of nearly a trillion dollars,
one big step toward
meaning that what the economy is capable of producing at full
ending hunger in
capacity, or full employment, is much more than it actually is
America.”
producing.11 Unemployment has fallen since the recession’s
highs of 10 percent, but the rate is still high, and it is also
an unreliable reflection of how many people are still struggling to get back on their feet.
National unemployment figures do not count people who have abandoned the labor market
in frustration or those scraping by on part-time work who need and want to work full-time.
Figure i.4

U.S. Poverty and Civilian Unemployment Rates, 1980-2012

20%

15.2%

15.1%

15

15.1%

12.8%

12.5%
2010

1993

1983

11.3%

9.6%
1989

Poverty Rate (%)
2010

2007

10

9.6%
4.6%

4.0%

5

6.9%
5.3%

Civilian Unemployment Rate (%)

0
1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Departm [??X????\?X]H?X???]\?X???L??M?? ?[???X?[????????XY??H??[??]]B???????
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