A whopping 92% of adults have cut back on discretionary spending over the past six months, CNBC found after polling 4,403 US adults last week.
Consumers were most skittish when shopping for clothes and dining out at restaurants — 63% and 62%, respectively.
The news site’s poll also showed that consumers at all income levels are feeling pinched by the economy. While labor strikes in Hollywood and Detroit provoke fresh uncertainty, inflation rose a surprisingly stiff 3.7% last month — still well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
Fifty-five percent of lower-income households earning $50,000 or less annually told CNBC that their personal finances are suffering from the state of the US economy, while 61% of middle-income earners bringing in $50,000 to $100,000 are feeling the squeeze.