By Sara Murray

Growth in the food stamp program appeared to reach a plateau in February — with 14.3% of the population relying on the safety net program. 2月份政府的食品卷服务人数曲线开始拉平，全国人口的14.3%不得不接受政府的这项保障性救济服务。

The number of food stamp recipients was essentially flat in February, the most recent month available, with 44.2 million Americans receiving benefits, according a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (See a sortable breakdown of the data here.)2月份有44.2百万人领取食品卷救济。

The food stamp program ballooned during the recession as workers lost their jobs or saw their hours and income reduced. The rise in recipients has begun to flatten in recent months, which may mean that as the economy is improving fewer Americans are seeking to join the program. Enrollment in the program is still high though, with 11.6% more people tapping benefits in February than the same month a year earlier. 经济危机后，申请的人数大大增加了。现在拉平，显示经济好转，申请人数停止了增长。但是，总人数还是高。比去年同期，高出11.6%。

Food stamp numbers aren’t seasonally adjusted though, meaning a variety of factors could influence the monthly tallies and the program could grow again in coming months.

Mississippi and Oregon were among the states with the largest share of the population utilizing food stamps in February: At least one in five residents in each state were receiving benefits.

Wyoming had the lowest rate of recipients with just 6.6% of the state’s residents using food stamps.