By Roben Farzad It’s a monthly event, and a sign of the times. On the last day of every month, at 24-hour Wal-Marts, food stamp recipients line up to make essential purchases just as their federal benefit cards recharge for the new month.

According to the U.S. Agriculture Dept., the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) has grown from 26 million recipients five years ago to a record 46 million today. The U.S. Census Bureau says nearly 50 million Americans are living in poverty, the highest figure since record keeping began 52 years ago. The bureau calculates that 6 million more people would be living in poverty were it not for a temporary increase in the earned-income tax credit. And without food stamps, an additional 5 million Americans would fall below the poverty line. Read More: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/food-stamp-rush-hour-12222011.html?chan=magazine+channel_economics