De laveste indkomstgrupper og middelstanden i USA rammes hårdest af coronakrisen, og de får en større gældsbyrde fremover. Det får betydning for, hvordan USA kommer ud af coronakrisen, viser en analyse fra Merrill.
Uddrag fra Merrill:
Debt by Income Level
Heterogeneity in consumer debt also exists among types of borrowers. In general,
households with higher income levels tend to also have higher debt levels. That’s not
surprising given that more affluent Americans are more likely to own homes and attend
college and graduate school.
However, as shown by Exhibit 2, low- and middle-income households are more likely to have higher debt-to-income ratios and more trouble making payments.
Indeed, roughly four in ten Americans surveyed by the Fed said they would not be able
to cover an emergency expense of $400 using cash or equivalents.
About one-third of Americans noted they would have to take on additional debt in order to cover the expense.
Meanwhile, the sharp decline in economic activity in 2020 is most likely to be felt by
low- and middle-income workers. Most of the unemployment claims to date have been
cited in lower-wage, service industries, particularly accomodation and food service, and
retail. Higher-income workers in the professional and business services industries, who
can more easily work from home, are less at risk.
