4 in 10 Americans Struggle to Pay for Basic Needs

Washington: Four in 10 Americans struggled to pay for their basic needs such as food or housing last year, according to a new study from the Urban Institute, a Washington-based think tank. Despite a growing US economy and a low unemployment rate, 39.4 per cent of Americans between 18 and 64 years old said they experienced at least one type of material hardship in 2017, Xinhua quoted a study as saying, which surveyed nearly 7,600 adults about whether they had trouble paying for housing, utilities, food or health care.

The findings came as a surprise among researchers with the Urban Institute, who had expected to find high level of hardship among poor Americans but hadn’t predicted so many middle-class families would also struggle to meet their basic needs. “Economic growth and low unemployment alone do not ensure everyone can meet their basic needs,” the authors wrote in a report.

Food insecurity was the most common challenge, with over 23 percent of households struggling to feed their family at some point during 2017. That was followed by troubles paying a family medical bill, reported by about 18 percent. A similar percentage didn’t seek care for a medical need over concerns of the cost. Additionally, roughly 13 percent of families missed a utility bill payment at some point during the year. And 10 percent of families either didn’t pay the full amount of their rent or mortgage, or they paid it late. (IANS)