US workers continue to grapple with rising costs of living, even as President Donald Trump insists the economy is “roaring back”. An exclusive Guardian poll reveals cross-party concern over the administration’s economic management, with many Americans reporting difficulty affording basic necessities.
Dawn Levie, a 61-year-old postal worker in Paulden, Arizona, said cuts to her hours have cost her thousands over the past year. “It’s hard to describe how you feel when you can’t sustain your livelihood because your money is impacted,” she told the Guardian. “You can’t pay bills, and creditors get mad.” Bryan Williams, a 63-year-old home-care worker in Madison, Wisconsin, described living paycheck to paycheck on $17.65 an hour, juggling rent, bills and food.
Data from January shows food prices were 2.9% higher year-on-year, with a predicted rise of 3.1% over the next year. Utility prices climbed over 6%. Household debt reached $18.8 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 4% from the start of the year, while credit card debt hit a record $1.28 trillion. Delinquency rates rose sharply.
Wages for the lowest earners fell 0.3% in real terms, and the federal minimum wage has been frozen at $7.25 an hour since 2009. Meanwhile, higher-income Americans have seen wages grow twice as fast since 1979. Crystal Franklin, a passport specialist in Dumfries, Virginia, said she now takes the bus to work and cuts back on groceries to afford essentials.
According to estimates, tariffs imposed by the Trump administration cost US families more than $1,700 between February 2025 and January 2026. Despite seven in ten Americans saying tariffs have pushed up prices, Trump has announced further levies.
