AMERICANS IN FINANCIAL STRESS:

More than a third of Americans reported difficulties paying bills in the latest U.S. Census Bureau household survey, showing how much of a toll the surge in consumer prices has taken on budgets. The share of respondents saying it has been somewhat or very difficult to pay for usual household expenses is now near its 2020 peak, at the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In cities including Los Angeles and Miami, more than 4 in 10 households reported having financial stress, according the household pulse survey for the April 27-May 9 period.