Savings Rate Falls, Consumer Debt Surges as Inflation Weighs on Household Finances

Savings Rate Falls, Consumer Debt Surges as Inflation Weighs on Household Finances
Alain Filiz shows off some of his credit cards as he pays for items at Lorenzo's Italian Market in Miami, Fla. on May 20, 2009. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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With rampant price inflation eating away at household budgets, U.S. consumers are saving less, using debt to keep their heads above water, and losing confidence in the economy.

In April, the household savings rate tumbled to 4.4 percent, down from 6.2 percent in March, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). This is the lowest it has been since the 2008–2009 Great Recession. In the early days of the public health crisis, the U.S. household savings rate was just under 35 percent.
Andrew Moran
Andrew Moran
Author
Andrew Moran has been writing about business, economics, and finance for more than a decade. He is the author of "The War on Cash."
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