The New Faces Of Poverty (VIDEO)

Fifteen percent of Americans live in poverty, the highest number in any industrialized nation in the world, the Associated Press reports.

The staggering statistic demonstrates just how much the face of poverty has changed in recent years. The issue is now associated with professionals who have obtained advanced degrees and hardworking citizens who have never been without a job before.

"I've never been unemployed. I've never gone through this," Kris Fallon, an Illinois resident who relies on the Willow Creek Center for meals, told the AP. "Now that I've gone through it, I would never wish it on my worst enemy."

The U.S. Census Bureau reported last week that 46 million Americans live in poverty, a figure that accounts for families of four living on $22,000 a year or less.

"I'm stressed out," remarked Anthony Tabacco, a Broward County, Fla., music teacher who's endured two rounds of countywide layoffs. "I'm constantly worried about how I will make ends meet."

WATCH:

WATCH Related Video: