Consumer Confidential: The economy may be booming, but nearly half of Americans can't make ends meet
By virtually any yardstick, the U.S. economy is doing great. Unemployment is near a two-decade low. The stock market is strong. Corporate profits are at record highs.
Yet a report out this week finds that almost half of Americans are having trouble paying for basic needs such as food and housing.
The Urban Institute, a left-leaning Washington think tank, surveyed more than 7,500 adults about their experience making ends meet. It found that about 40 percent of people ages 18 to 64 faced some sort of hardship last year.
"It's certainly surprising and disconcerting that so many people are having difficulty meeting their basic needs," said Michael Karpman,
