As inflation surges, more Americans are living paycheck to paycheck

Inflation has been causing economic hardship for workers across all income levels.

As of June, 61% of Americans — roughly 157 million adults — lived paycheck to paycheck, according to a new LendingClub report. That’s up from 58% who reported living paycheck to paycheck in May. A year ago, the number of adults who felt stretched too thin was 55%.

Even top earners have been struggling to make ends meet, the report found. Of those earning $200,000 or more, 36% reported living paycheck to paycheck, a jump from the previous month. (Another recent survey, from consulting firm Willis Towers Watson, estimated 36% of those earning $100,000 or more said they were living paycheck to paycheck.)

More from Personal Finance:
What a recession could mean for you
Best money moves after the Fed’s interest rate hikes
Nearly half of all Americans are falling deeper in debt

Another key inflation gauge, the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index, which measures the price change in goods and services consumed by all households, also jumped 6.8%, the biggest 12-month move since 1982.

Taken together, Americans are shelling out more to cover their monthly expenses, making it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. As a result, they’re dipping into their cash reserves and nearly half are falling deeper in debt.

Among all consumers, average savings dropped to $10,757 in June from $11,274 in May, LendingClub also found.