Bloomberg — Almost half of US families surveyed by the Census Bureau found the recent rise in consumer prices “very stressful” -- and the vast majority of the others were also worried about inflation.
The Census Bureau included a new question about the impact from soaring prices in its regular household poll. The result shows that nearly everyone was at least a little stressed by inflation, and particularly so in fast-growing cities like Miami, where the cost of living has surged.
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The survey also highlights disparities among ethnic groups. More than half of Hispanic and Black respondents found inflation “very stressful,” compared with about 43% for Whites and about 38% for Asian Americans.
Stress can lead to health problems such as elevated blood pressure and heart disease.
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The number of respondents who have difficulty paying their bills is increasing amid rising interest rates and economic uncertainty. More than 40% of households report having a hard time covering usual expenses in the latest survey, conducted from Sept. 14 to Sept. 26. That’s up from less than a third two years ago.
The household survey was started in 2020 to provide close to real-time data on how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting people’s lives.