Slip-Sliding Away
Despite signs of recovery from the "Great Recession," significant numbers of Americans find themselves living lives of economic struggle, and worry about whether they'll keep a middle-class life in the long term.
Four in ten Americans (40 percent) say they're struggling "a lot" in the current economy, while fewer than 2 in 10 say they're not struggling at all – and those two groups live in different worlds, according to the telephone survey exploring the views of 1,004 adults, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
For example, half of those who say they're struggling "a lot" (52 percent) say they've had trouble paying the rent or mortgage since 2008, compared to only 4 percent of the non-struggling. More than one-third, 34 percent, have lost their job in the past two years, compared with 9 percent of the non-struggling.
When asked what would help, "making higher education more affordable" led the list both overall (63 percent) and among those who say they're struggling (65 percent). Preserving Social Security and Medicare was next at 58 percent (62 percent among the struggling) and expanding job-training programs came in third at 54 percent (56 percent for the struggling).
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