US voters and the cost of living

Throughout the presidential election campaign, we have been hearing from voters across the political spectrum. One issue keeps coming up: how much it costs to live, to feed the family, to fuel a car, or to pay the rent or mortgage.

Surveys have consistently indicated the economy is a top concern for Americans – transcending age and political affiliation. Since the pandemic, most people in the country have experienced steep price rises of many essentials like housing, groceries and fuel.

But the economic outlook is good. Last week, the US Commerce Department released the latest figures on the state of the nation’s finances. They showed that the economy grew by 2.8 percent and that the country is on track for one of the strongest economic performances of any major economy this year. So why aren’t people feeling it?

In our conversations, we bring together young people in Connecticut, Texas and Pennsylvania. And we hear from two generations of families who are facing similar challenges.

“Unemployment might be down and the economy might be doing great, but I feel like for the average American it’s still a struggle,” Miriam in the swing state of Georgia tells us. “I’m living from pay check to pay check right now.”

Presenters: Mark Lowen and Luke Jones.
BBC Producer: Iqra Farooq.
Boffin Media Producers: Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham

An EcoAudio certified Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC OS team.

(Photo: Whitney and Scott with their children. Credit: Whitney and Scott)