2 months ago
US workers are still struggling pinch nan costs of surviving contempt Donald Trump’s run promises to hole nan US affordability crisis.
The Guardian said to workers arsenic an exclusive poll showed cross-party concerns astir nan Trump administration’s handling of nan US economy.
Dawn Levie, 61, a postal work worker successful Paulden, Arizona, said she’s mislaid thousands successful net complete nan past twelvemonth owed to cuts to her hours, making it much difficult for her to spend basal necessities for illustration paying for groceries and inferior bills.
“It’s difficult to picture really you consciousness erstwhile you can’t prolong your livelihood because your money is impacted,” Levie said. “You can’t salary bills, [and] creditors get mad. How do you show them: ‘I conscionable don’t person it?’”
The White House insists that nan affordability problem Americans for illustration Levie study doesn’t exist. At a rally successful Kentucky earlier this week, Donald Trump told nan crowd: “Inflation is plummeting, income is rising, nan system is roaring back!”
Though nan affirmative sentiment will beryllium a reliable waste for voters successful nan upcoming midterm elections.
After helping Congress walk immense cuts to healthcare and nutrient assistance programs, Trump is now pushing to region minimum costs and overtime protections for immoderate workers. And though 7 retired of 10 Americans said that tariffs person led to higher prices, Trump has only doubled down connected much levies.
Far from emotion for illustration nan US is successful a aureate age, workers said rising ostentation intends their paychecks can’t support up pinch prices.
“I cognize things are worse, because I’m surviving it and I consciousness it each day,” said Bryan Williams, 63, a home-care worker successful Madison, Wisconsin, who is surviving paycheck to paycheck connected $17.65 an hour. “It’s very difficult trying to salary rent, salary your bills, bargain food, state and juggle which ones you tin salary [and] which ones you tin fto go.
“[I] inquire myself which 1 should I get, erstwhile I cognize I request both, aliases worrying will I person capable money to get backmost and distant to activity until different payday? Or will I person capable money to salary my ray bill?”
Vernice Thompson, 63, a unit worker successful Williamsburg, Virginia, said that moreover though she receives societal information benefits, lodging still takes up half her income.
“Groceries person gone up. [The prices of] a batch of nan foods that I for illustration person gone up,” said Thompson. “I cognize nan value of clothing excessively because I activity successful retail, and I haven’t seen immoderate declines successful nan value of clothing.”
“Everything is going up,” she added.
Food prices were 2.9% higher successful January compared to nan twelvemonth earlier and are predicted to summation by 3.1% complete nan adjacent year. Data shows that nan nutrient insecurity complaint spiked to 16% successful November, up from 12.7% successful January 2025.
Utility prices successful nan US besides accrued by more than 6% successful January 2026 compared to a twelvemonth prior.
More Americans are taking connected indebtedness because of nan rising costs of necessities. Total family indebtedness successful nan 4th fourth of 2025 reached $18.8tn, up by 4% since nan opening of nan year. Delinquency for each types of indebtedness rose 3.26% successful nan 4th fourth of 2025 compared to 1.7% successful nan aforesaid play of 2024. Credit paper indebtedness successful nan US by nan extremity of 2025 deed a grounds $1.28tn.
Meanwhile, wages person stagnated for galore workers. The 10% lowest costs earners, receiving connected mean $14.56 an hour, saw their wages diminution by 0.3% erstwhile adjusted for ostentation successful 2025. The national minimum costs of $7.25 an hr has remained unchanged since 2009 – nan longest play without an summation since nan national minimum costs was enacted.
In comparison, higher-income Americans person been earning much than ever. Since 1979, high-end wages person grown twice arsenic fast arsenic debased and mediate wages.
“If group aren’t being paid a cost-of-living increase, aliases conscionable nan bare minimum of a costs of surviving increase, it’s difficult to support up,” said Crystal Franklin, 54, a US passport master and mother of 3 who lives successful Dumfries, Virginia.
Franklin said she started taking nan autobus to activity because of rising state prices and is being much frugal astatine nan market store. Yet she still has little room successful her fund for intermezo and leisure expenses for her grandchildren.
“We’re not capable to do what we utilized to beryllium capable to do because costs of surviving has gone up highly high,” Franklin said.
US families person paid more than $1,700 in estimated costs owed to nan Trump administration’s tariffs from February 2025 to January 2026, pinch Trump announcing caller tariffs to switch those struck down by nan US ultimate tribunal past month.
At nan aforesaid time, Republicans person been cutting down nan country’s societal information net. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act that was passed past summertime included monolithic cuts for nan adjacent decade, including over $1tn from Medicaid, $536bn from Medicare and $186bn from nan Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap).
In summation to these cuts, nan White House is allowing Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire, which will raise wellness security premiums for 22 cardinal Americans by an estimated 114%, from $888 a twelvemonth to $1,904 successful 2026.
Trump has besides sought to trim salary for millions of low-wage workers. Last year, nan president rescinded an executive bid that raised nan minimum costs for national contractors to $15 an hr and gave yearly raises to support successful gait pinch inflation, impacting more than 300,000 workers. The White House is besides trying to region overtime protections for nearly 4 cardinal home-care workers who received median wages of $16.78 an hour successful 2024.
“Things person been beautiful reliable successful nan past year,” said Williams. “I don’t judge thing Trump says because everything he promised america he was going to do did not happen.”
A spokesperson for nan White House, Kush Desai, disputed nan economical trajectory nether nan Trump administration.
“America’s economical trajectory nether President Trump has been solid,” Desai said. “This week’s CPI study showed ostentation continues to cool while nan Administration’s taxation cut, tariff, and deregulatory schedule continues to thrust robust existent costs and finance growth. Once we are past short word disruptions from Operation Epic Fury, America is poised to spot moreover greater economical advancement arsenic nan Administration’s waste and acquisition deals, supplier pricing deals, deregulatory efforts, and taxation cuts proceed taking effect.”
