Inflation Rises Faster Than Income in Florida

In Florida, per capita income rose slower than inflation last year. This means the average person was essentially earning less, according to federal statistics. 

Florida ranked 45th in the nation for growth in per-person income according to the Commerce Department. 

Per capita income refers to the total income earned in the state divided by the number of people who live in the state. Florida's per capita income increased 1.7% last year (from $38,417 to $39,070).

The national inflation rate was 3.8%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, but the rate in Florida was 4.6%.

This is a reflection of how widespread the economic downturn has been in our state. Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Georgia and Utah were the five states to experience even less economic growth than Florida.

Artists Inspired By Economic Downturn

The economic downturn may have been good for something - many artists are finding inspiration in the current recession. 

Andres Zapata came across a bag of credit card clippings and decided to arrange and photograph the credit card pieces. He titled the photo Plastic (above), as a response to the things he "purchased that he didn't need and couldn't afford." Plastic will be published in a book of recession-themed artwork later this year. 

Zapata also began working on Recession Nation in January, a book of art and poetry inspired by the financial crisis. He has received submissions from around the country and hopes to compile 100 pieces. Proceeds from the book will be donated to charity to help those most affected by the recession. 

But Zapata is not the only artist inspired by his economic woes; there are a growing number of artists around the world who are creating songs, paintings and photos inspired by the downturn. This artwork serves to document the recession and its effect on society and is being compared to the social commentary that came out of the depression era. Documenting history as it occurs is important and self expression is one of the best ways to chronicle today's events for the future. Sometimes, people are at their best when circumstances are at their worst. 

It's Official: US Recession Since December '07

On December 2, 2008, Economists announced that the US has been in a recession since last December.

In declaring that the economy has been in a downturn for the last twelve months, economists confirmed what many Americans have already been experiencing: job cuts, bank bailouts and depreciation of the dollar.

This economic news didn't seem to shock many Americans. It seemed more of a question of "when," rather than "if," a recession would be announced.