The poll found that around 66% of Americans are spending less money than usual, while 45% are saving more money than before the pandemic. In addition, 26% are paying off debt faster than usual.
The findings also reveal that only 37% of respondents believe the US national economy is good, which represents a 30-percentage-point drop from January. Meanwhile, 63% of respondents said their financial circumstances are good, a proportion that is unchanged since the start of the pandemic.
The pandemic has disproportionately affected the finances of Black and Hispanic Americans, the poll also reveals.
The survey found that 47% of Black Americans and 39% of Hispanic Americans revealed they have been unable to pay at least one bill during the pandemic. On the other hand, only 19% of white Americans have been unable to pay a bill in the same timeframe.
In addition, while 66% of Hispanic Americans said that their households have lost income during the pandemic, only 44% of white Americans and 50% of Black Americans said the same.
The latest data by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the unemployment rates in July decreased by 9.2% among whites, 12% among Asians and 12.9% among Hispanics. The jobless rate among Blacks was 14.6% and showed little change from June.
The poll surveyed 1,075 adults from August 17 to 20 and has a 4.1-point margin of error.
