A new Agriculture Department study found that the number of Americans living in households without consistent access to sufficient food rose to 49 million last year, the highest level since the government began tracking “food insecurity” 14 years ago, The New York Times reports.

The increase, by 13 million from 2007, was larger than observers of hunger trends expected and appeared to highlight the growing daily hardships arising from the recession’s impact on jobs and wages. The findings fit with reports from nonprofit food pantries and soup kitchens of increased requests for help during the past year.

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