Asked by an anonymous Tumblr user.
There are a number of places where you can find government data and statistics:
- USA.gov - Our page points you to commonly requested data sets and statistics.
- Data.gov - This comprehensive data site compiles data sets, charts, maps, and more. You can download raw data or play with interactive data sets.
- American FactFinder - This tool combines a variety of population, housing, economic, and geographic information that you can search many different ways.
In reference to the specific question, you can find the number of people who receive welfare, called cash public assistance, using the American FactFinder. From there you can narrow it to specific urban areas or by other geographies. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports unemployment statistics, including for large metropolitan areas.
If you’re having a hard time locating the correct statistics, you can always ask a government information librarian for help. Government information librarians are experts at finding information from government agencies of all levels (local, state, regional, national international) on almost any subject.
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