Fewer Americans say they are living paycheck to paycheck as inflation begins to ease
Consumers who have been squeezed by higher prices may be experiencing a little relief. Fewer adults now say they are living paycheck to paycheck, according to a new LendingClub report. As of July, 59% of Americans said they lived paycheck to paycheck, down from 61% in June but still higher than a year ago, when the number of adults who felt stretched too thin was 54%. Lower-income workers have been the hardest hit by price spikes this year, particularly for food and other staples, since those expenses account for a bigger share of the budget, studies show. Roughly three-quarters of consumers annually earning less than $50,000 and 63% of those earning between $50,000 and $100,000 were living paycheck to paycheck in July, based on LendingClub’s numbers. Even though top earners have also been struggling to make ends meet, wealthier Americans feel less financially strained, the report found. Of those earning $200,000 or more, roughly 30% reported living paycheck to paycheck, down from ...