Hard-pressed Americans are increasingly resorting to selling their blood plasma to cope with the ongoing cost of living crisis, according to new research. The number of people exchanging plasma for cash has soared to over 200,000 per day across the country, marking a sharp 30 percent increase in just four years.
Plasma Donations Become Financial Lifeline
Middle-class Americans, struggling to make ends meet, are turning to plasma centers where they receive approximately $65 in pre-paid debit cards for each donation. This trend highlights the deepening financial strain faced by many households, even as political leaders tout economic strength.
Personal Stories of Economic Hardship
Ian Pleasant, a 43-year-old from Holmes, Pennsylvania, donates plasma at the B Positive center to cover basic necessities like toilet paper and pet food. "I'm making enough money now doing DoorDash to keep up with the bills, but for anything else in the house, this is going to help out," he told NBC News.
Other donors cite multiple economic pressures, including rising rents and medical bills, as reasons for their plasma sales. Research by Peter Jaworski for Blood Plasma Quarterly found that plasma was donated over 75 million times in the U.S. in 2025, with predictions of an additional 11 percent rise in contributions for 2026.
Economic Disconnect Amid Rising Costs
Despite a significant fall in inflation since 2022 and a $2.00 drop in unleaded gas prices, food costs in the U.S. surged by 18.6 percent between 2022 and late 2025, according to the CBS News price tracker. This disparity underscores the uneven impact of economic recovery on everyday Americans.
Job Market Realities vs. Political Rhetoric
While some officials, like embattled attorney general Pam Bondi, point to stock market highs such as the Dow exceeding 50,000, this optimism is not reflected in the lives of many citizens. An October jobs report from Goldman Sachs warned that AI-driven "jobless growth" could exacerbate employment challenges, where companies profit while individuals struggle to find work.
Middle-class Americans with traditionally employable skills are particularly affected. Jill Chamberlain, who lost her $87,000-a-year financial oversight job in 2024, now works for $16.11 per hour and supplements her income with plasma sales. "I'm angry that I'm working this much, that I'm educated, that I'm articulate, that I have marketable skills, and that I'm reduced to selling my plasma," she said.
Employment Trends and Future Outlook
January 2026 saw the highest number of January lay-offs since 2009, despite the U.S. economy adding 130,000 new jobs that month, surpassing expectations. However, this job surge was still 13,000 jobs fewer than in January 2025, indicating potential volatility in the labor market.
The rise in plasma donations serves as a stark indicator of underlying economic distress, challenging narratives of widespread prosperity and highlighting the urgent need for policies that address cost of living pressures for ordinary Americans.
