Economics
Economic Pain Persists for Millions in U.S. as Aid Talks Drag On
- Almost a third in households finding it tough to pay expenses
- Black, Hispanic Americans experience hunger at higher rates
Photographer: Nina Westervelt/Bloomberg
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More than 34 million U.S. adults live in households that find it very difficult to pay for their usual expenses, according to government data that offer the latest evidence of how low-income and minority Americans are facing intense economic insecurity as the pandemic wears on.
Households with about 31% of Americans 18 and over said covering usual expenses had been “somewhat” or “very” difficult in the last seven days, according to the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey conducted from Sept. 30 to Oct. 12. That was a slight increase from responses collected during the Sept. 16-28 period.