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42% of Americans under 30 say they’re ‘barely getting by’ financially
End Time Headlines Ministry ^ | April 24, 2025 | Staff

Posted on 04/25/2025 6:40:18 PM PDT by Red Badger

A recent survey conducted by Harvard’s Institute of Politics reveals a stark reality for young Americans: 42% of those under 30 report they are “barely getting by” financially, with only 16% saying they are doing well or very well.

This alarming statistic, drawn from a poll of 2,096 adults aged 18 to 29 conducted between March 14 and 25, 2025, underscores the economic challenges facing Generation Z and young Millennials.

The Harvard Youth Poll, as reported by CNBC, NBC New York, and NBC DFW, indicates that roughly two in five young Americans are either “struggling to make ends meet” or “getting by with limited security.”

This financial precarity is particularly acute for certain demographics. Women, with 47% reporting financial struggles compared to 37% of men, face heightened challenges, according to Spectrum News.

Similarly, 52% of young Latinos and 50% of those without a college degree say they are struggling, compared to 35% of college students and 29% of college graduates.

These disparities reflect structural barriers, including lower earnings and limited access to higher-paying jobs for non-degree holders.

Posts on X further amplify the sentiment, with users like @HarvardIOP and @NewYorkSun noting the poll’s findings and linking them to broader disillusionment, including declining support for congressional Democrats among young voters.

While these posts reflect public discourse, they alone do not substantiate the data but highlight its resonance.

While the Harvard survey does not pinpoint specific causes, multiple sources suggest that persistent inflation, the resumption of student loan payments, and low starting salaries are squeezing young adults.

CNBC and NBC outlets report that the cost of essentials—food, shelter, and transportation—has surged, with inflation driving up prices by nearly 21% since February 2020.

John Bell, a certified financial planner quoted in these reports, emphasizes that many young people graduate with significant college debt, often entering careers that do not pay enough to cover both loans and basic living expenses.

The Washington Post, in a related 2023 article, provides context on rising costs, noting that everyday expenses like meals and home maintenance have increased significantly, further straining budgets.

For example, the cost of a typical lunch has risen by over 30% in some cases, and property taxes have jumped, impacting even those who have paid off mortgages. These trends disproportionately affect younger adults, who are less likely to have accumulated savings or assets.

The Harvard findings align with other research indicating growing financial strain among young Americans.

A January 2025 Credit One Bank survey, cited by CNBC and NBC, found that 39% of Gen Z adults feel stressed about their finances, the highest of any generation, with low confidence in their financial control.

Additionally, a 2022 New York Times article highlights a decline in economic mobility, noting that only 50% of Americans born in 1980 are likely to out-earn their parents, compared to 92% of those born in 1940.

This fading “American Dream” exacerbates the sense of financial insecurity among the young.

CNN, in a 2024 report, adds that even higher earners are not immune, with 41% of Americans aged 18 to 35 expressing concern about making ends meet, compared to just 22% of those over 65.

This suggests that financial pressure is pervasive across income levels for younger generations, driven by rising costs and stagnant wages relative to inflation.

The Harvard poll, as covered by Spectrum News and Political Wire, also reveals broader social and political discontent.

Only 19% of young Americans trust the federal government to do the right thing most of the time, and support for policies like tariffs and Gaza redevelopment is low, at 19% and 14%, respectively.

This distrust, coupled with financial hardship, may contribute to the reported skepticism about the value of college education, as noted in a 2022 Bloomberg report, where only 56% of young adults felt their degrees were worth the cost.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; History; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS: gopisdone; putdownthelatte; tariffsaretaxes
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To: ClearCase_guy
It all depends on one's expectations AND work ethic.

The Carter years were not great for most.

And WHY only talk about 1980?

And look at the majors that previous generations took at college, which prior to the early 1960s, only an EXTREMELY few people even went to.

Yes, manufacturing has fled America, but young people were still paid low salaries for entry level jobs of almost all kind.

And WASTING $7 on a one coffee, is ridiculous!

21 posted on 04/25/2025 7:19:19 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: Red Badger

And 40% of our population is obese. When we were young we were more worried about getting our asses shot up in Vietnam rather than getting out of mom’s basement at 26 years old and where the next video game cartridge was.

Responsibilities matter.


22 posted on 04/25/2025 7:20:42 PM PDT by quantim (Victory is not relative, it is absolute.)
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To: NorthWoody

I don’t think it would have made a difference in his financial situation, but his awareness of that detail pleased him.


23 posted on 04/25/2025 7:24:51 PM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: ClearCase_guy

1”This guy ...”

Fudges his numbers...


24 posted on 04/25/2025 7:25:28 PM PDT by TexasGator (1'11.'11/'~~'111./.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

In 1986, I was working for $3.35/hr-20 hrs a week- and going to school. With that income, I paid for my apartment, a car payment on a new Honda Accord, my school tuition (in cash, no loan) and for all of my essentials and utilities.

Everyone I knew had a car and happily worked whatever job they could get - restaurant employment, picking tobacco, retail- even selling magazines. EVERYONE had a goal in life - education/trade school, dating, marriage, family.

Now we are flush with lazy gamer stoners and pregnant teenagers who are fat, loudmouthed and worthless.


25 posted on 04/25/2025 7:30:40 PM PDT by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: rellic

Car culture is gone amongst the young. I’ve met only a few young men who have the faintest idea about how to work on cars. One was a self taught fellow with a GED who seemed a natural (he used an agricultural exemption to drive an 18 wheeler at 16). He went on to aviation mechanics. The other was from a family where everyone was into cars. The Dad, his brothers and the occasional uncle and cousin would gather in the workshop on weekends.


26 posted on 04/25/2025 7:33:10 PM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: Cowgirl of Justice

Correction: I did have a roommate - my childhood best friend - to split housing and utilities. After 2 yrs of that, I did get a job with an airline which paid $12,000/yr which was when I got my first new car.


27 posted on 04/25/2025 7:34:17 PM PDT by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: ClearCase_guy

“Maybe not smart, but nobody should act like Gen Z can buy a house today if they just stop buying coffee. I would have to say that they buy the $7 coffee because there is really no reason NOT to. “

Put away $7 a day and after a few years you have the down payment for a house.


28 posted on 04/25/2025 7:35:01 PM PDT by TexasGator (1'11.'11/'~~'111./.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Thanks. That’s exactly the sort of information we need, to compare things nowadays to yesteryear. This is quite informative.


29 posted on 04/25/2025 7:36:16 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: BobL
When I start seeing young people using flip-phones then I’ll believe they’re struggling, rather than spending their money stupidly.

Unfortunately, many Multi-Factor Authentication processes now require a "smart" phone.

30 posted on 04/25/2025 7:38:35 PM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: Cowgirl of Justice

Not all, but far tooooooooooooooooooo many!


31 posted on 04/25/2025 7:41:53 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: TexasGator

only 31 years by the national average. if they start young enough they may actually manage to pay it off before they die. maybe there should be some PSA on not buying coffee ever. I just hope the 41,000 coffee shops have backup plans.


32 posted on 04/25/2025 7:43:08 PM PDT by bak3r
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To: TexasGator

Yes, and if you skip the manicures, hair coloring appointments, botox, meal deliveries, car detailing (seems to be a big thing lately?), and online subscriptions... pretty soon you are saving a healthy amount - AND - developing much better financial habits, IMO.


33 posted on 04/25/2025 7:44:27 PM PDT by NEMDF
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To: nopardons

I just don’t hear of any kids having dreams and aspirations in life - they don’t talk about dating, having a family, the future, what they want to be when they grow up.

Very sad.

And all of the legalization of marijuana has added to their lethargy.


34 posted on 04/25/2025 7:44:48 PM PDT by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: GOPJ
Check out a house built in the 1940’s and you’ll see there’s almost no closet space - because people didn’t own that many clothes...

Houses didn't have closets in order for the builders to save on construction costs and time.

Yes, people had fewer clothes but either packed them into armoires or hung them on racks in the attics and basements. Such storage was often just a bamboo rod hanging from the joists. A lot was stored in chests as well. Anything that was real fur, and a lot of it was, had to be stored in refrigerators at a cost.



35 posted on 04/25/2025 7:49:20 PM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: ClearCase_guy

You have that correct. The hatred for boomers is off the charts for young people. When you listen to them, they make sense. They have a point. The numbers for cost of living in all areas point to the young having a legit complaint. And they support Trump


36 posted on 04/25/2025 7:52:07 PM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: Red Badger

Harvard Youth Poll. So, are these Harvard grads who are struggling? Figuring out that sheepskin ain’t all it’s cracked up to be?


37 posted on 04/25/2025 7:52:31 PM PDT by PLMerite ("They say that we were Cold Warriors. Yes, and a bloody good show, too. 😁 " - Robert Conquest )
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To: Cowgirl of Justice
That's because the news NEVER talks about the good kids, like my grandson and the kids he's at university with, nor the ones he went to school with before, who are ALL in college or university now.

It's the old IF IT BLEEDS IT LEADS kind of news....if it's ROTTEN/AWFUL, it's reported and the awful ones are also all over Tik Tok making imbecilic, weepy videos about how much life stinks!

38 posted on 04/25/2025 7:53:47 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: PLMerite

No, that’s just who conducted the poll, not who they polled.............


39 posted on 04/25/2025 7:53:49 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: rellic
Re: Replacing the rear end in the family Pinto station wagon (Post 16)

That's when you could work on a car. It's been decades since many components, when they fail, mark the end of the life of the car.

The electronics in particular are lifespan limiters, worse than frame rust on older model cars.

40 posted on 04/25/2025 7:53:49 PM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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