According to a new survey by AARP many African Americans age 45 and over are finding this economic recession particularly difficult. The survey found that over the last 12 months, a third (33%) of African Americans 45+ had problems paying rent or mortgage, and 44% had problems paying for items such as food and utilities. Also nearly twice as many of them lost a job than the general population (18%vs 10%) and almost one in four (23%) lost their employer sponsored health insurance.