MONTGOMERY – State records show that more people in Alabama are using food stamps as the price of groceries has gone up.

The number of food stamp recipients in Alabama increased by 6 percent between May 2007 and May 2008, with nearly 31,000 more getting the aid for a total of 541,000. The amount of food stamp dollars paid monthly in Alabama increased by 11 percent between May 2007 and May 2008, going from about $49.7 million to $55.3 million.

Senior Alabama Arise policy analyst Ron Gilbert said greater use of food stamps can be one of the most sensitive indicators of a troubled economy.