NEW YORK (AP) — Two-thirds of Americans would have difficulty coming up with the money to cover a $1,000 emergency, according to an exclusive poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. It’s a sign that despite years of recovery from the Great Recession, Americans’ financial condition remains as precarious as ever.
The difficulties are found at all income levels, according to the poll. Seventy-five percent of people in households making less than $50,000 a year would have difficulty coming up with $1,000 to cover an unexpected bill. But when income rose to between $50,000 and $100,000, that figure decreased only modestly to 67 percent.
Americans’ frustrations about the economy and their financial futures have become a dominant theme in this year’s presidential election, as millions have felt left behind in this post-recession economy.