MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Nearly one in five Alabama residents is getting food stamps, and the number is growing again after declining for a few months.

The number of Alabamians on food stamps peaked at 916,000 in December and then began declining slightly each month. It reached a low of 902,000 people in April.

Then, in May, the number rose to nearly 907,000 people on food stamps. That's the equivalent of 19 percent of Alabama's residents.

The increase coincided with Alabama's unemployment rate going up in May after declining for several months.

Experts say it's too early to tell if the increase in food stamp use is a bump on the road to recovery or the beginning of a trend.