'America's Not OK': Surveys, Wellbeing Steep Decline, Rising Costs, Job Insecurity, Economy, Social Media

[appalachiablue]

- ‘America’s Not OK’: Surveys Show US Wellbeing in Steep Decline Under Trump,' Common Dreams, April 10, 2026. By Brad Reed.

“Americans are drowning under rising costs, flat wages, high unemployment, and historic layoffs—it’s no wonder they’re concerned about how they’re going to make ends meet.”
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Two recently released surveys revealed a significant drop in Americans’ self-reported wellbeing as the Trump administration launches illegal and deadly military conflicts and plunges the global economy into chaos. On Friday, the University of Michigan issued its monthly Survey of Consumers, which showed that consumer sentiment in the US hit an all-time low after dropping by 11% since March, amid President Donald Trump’s war of choice in Iran.

The drop in consumer sentiment was almost universal, the survey found, as “demographic groups across age, income, and political party all posted setbacks in sentiment, as did every component of the index, reflecting the widespread nature of this month’s fall.” As for the reasons for the decline, the survey found “many consumers blame the Iran conflict for unfavorable changes to the economy,” such as a major spike in gas prices, which the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday increased by more than 20% in the month since the war began.

Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, noted that the latest consumer sentiment data showed Americans are even more sour on the economy now than they were in the summer of 2022, when the economy was dealing with the highest inflation it had seen in decades. Kendall Witmer, rapid response director of the Democratic National Committee, seized on the consumer sentiment report and accused Trump of having “tanked the economy for working families.”

“Americans are drowning under rising costs, flat wages, high unemployment, and historic layoffs,” Witmer added. “It’s no wonder they’re concerned about how they’re going to make ends meet and Trump and [Vice President] JD Vance can’t be bothered to make life more affordable for them.” The record low in consumer sentiment comes just weeks after Gallup released its annual World Happiness Report, which showed that the US had fallen out of its rankings of the 20 happiest countries in the world.

.. Social media’s impact on mental health has come into focus in recent weeks with juries in multiple states finding Big Tech companies liable for creating products that harm children...

More,
https://www.commondreams.org/news/us-happiness-consumer-sentiment

[viva la]

1. On CNN they said it was the lowest mood rating since WWII--

worse than during the pandemic.

But Artemis II is down safely, and Senator Mark Kelly is being reassuring and insightful, and I've got my new campaign slogan:

Gabby for First Lady!

[appalachiablue]

2. That is really severe, lowest mood since WW2, and the pandemic. Thanks for posting this and

cheers for the Kellys!

[Skittles]

3. in the meantime

there are recent articles claiming the middle class is shrinking because more people are MOVING ON UP!

NOPE

[appalachiablue]

4. CBS, American Enterprise Inst study. Omitted mass cost increases that eat up gains esp from women working, etc

Prices were raised decades ago when more women began working and there were 2 incomes in a household from what I know. The study is a stretch. Reagan & Co. reduced the large post-war middle class they viewed as having too much power.
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- 'The upper middle class is now the largest income group in the U.S., study finds,' CBS News, April 10, 2026.

The U.S. middle class is shrinking, but not because more Americans are poorer. Instead, more households are climbing into the echelons of the upper middle class due to income gains in recent decades, according to research from the nonpartisan American Enterprise Institute.

About 31% of U.S. households earn enough to be considered upper middle class, a roughly threefold increase since 1979, making it the nation's largest economic group, the research found. Meanwhile, the share of Americans in the "core" and "low" middle class segments has declined over that time, primarily because more households in those income groups have jumped ahead economically, AEI found.

The findings underscore a broader shift in the U.S. economy: As more households move up the income ladder, consumer demand is tilting toward higher-end goods and services. The so-called "K-shaped" economy — in which higher-income consumers are spending more while lower-income households pull back — has become a hallmark of the post-COVID economy.

The growing ranks of the upper middle class
About 31% of Americans are now upper middle class, making it the largest economic group in the nation today, American Enterprise Institute research shows. Household income has grown over the past several decades due to dual-income families and gains in women's earnings...
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/upper-middle-class-income-us-what-it-takes/