By Cathy Bussewitz and Hannah Fingerhut | The Associated Press

August 19, 2020

NEW YORK (AP) — When ride-hailing heavyweights Uber and Lyft and delivery giants Grubhub and Instacart began making shared rides and meals available with a few taps on a smartphone, they transformed the way people work, travel and get food delivered to their homes.

But the pandemic shuffled the deck for the so-called gig economy as fear of contracting the coronavirus led many who once traveled in shared vehicles to stay home, and grocery delivery services struggled to keep up with demand from people who didn’t want to risk stepping into a store.

A new survey from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows how consumer attitudes about using ride-hailing and delivery services have changed. It also highlights a wealth divide, where Americans with higher incomes are able to utilize the services to help reduce their risk of infection

“People are worried. We know that,” said Dmitri Koustas, an assistant professor at the University of Chicago Harris School. “They’re worried about themselves and their families, and they’re concerned about the virus, and they’re also worried about workers.”

Among the people who used ride-hailing before the crisis, 63% said they have not taken a ride since March. At the same time, people with higher household incomes had more groceries delivered to their homes.

Those with household incomes about $100,00 a year were roughly twice as likely to have increased their use of grocery delivery services than those in households earning less, the survey found. Overall, the percentage of people using delivery services remained about the same since the pandemic began, with those increasing their use balanced out by those cutting back, in some cases because of cost.

In Auburn, New York, few grocery stores offer delivery, and those that do are more expensive, said Patricia McAvaney, 49, who is disabled and living on a fixed income of $920 a month. She’s not comfortable going to the grocery store, but feels she has no choice.

“I’m on a budget, so it’s really not feasible to get everything delivered from that store,” McAvaney said.

Many Americans have been uncomfortable with delivery services during the pandemic. About 6 in 10 say they are very comfortable picking up food from a restaurant, compared with about 3 in 10 using delivery. Roughly another 3 in 10 said they are uncomfortable getting food delivered.

George Hunter, a 60-year-old antique dealer in Kent, Washington, said he went out to restaurants three or four times per week before the pandemic. But he’d rather cook his own food than order in, and he prefers to pick his own produce at the store.

“I did a lot of my appointments in restaurants, and it was a treat, to go out and have somebody bring me coffee and do the dishes,” Hunter said. “It’s no longer a treat. I’m in the house. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

A majority — 54% — said they feel uncomfortable using a ride-hailing service during the coronavirus outbreak, preferring their own cars for travel. A similar percentage were uncomfortable with taxis, public transportation and air travel, suggesting people are shying away from all forms of transportation where they share space with others.

Thomas Sorenson, a 63-year-old handyman, used ride-hailing when he went out with friends before the pandemic. But they no longer get together, and he takes care of his elderly mother, so wouldn’t risk infection by using ride-hailing services.

Karena Mazur Israel, 52, said she would be more comfortable riding in long vehicles such as buses, station wagons or limousines.

“On the bus, if you’re feeling like you can’t socially distance, you can get off of the bus and transfer, and wait until the next bus to come around,” she said.

The changing sentiments on ride-hailing and delivery are reflected in recent earnings for companies in those spaces.

Uber and Lyft lost a combined $2.2 billion in the second quarter as people shied away from their services. Bookings in Uber’s mobility business declined 73% and the company laid off a quarter of its workforce. Uber’s food delivery business more than doubled its revenue compared to last year, but it didn’t turn a profit. In April, Lyft’s rides were down 75% compared to the same time last year, and the company said it was laying off 17% of its workforce.

Grubhub’s average daily orders jumped 32% in the second quarter as diners ordered in, but it lost money as it spent heavily to prop up struggling restaurants and protect drivers.

The survey also weighed concerns for gig workers. Democrats were more likely than Republicans to express a lack confidence in safe working conditions for ride-hailing and delivery drivers. Overall, 35% of Americans favored government regulations to increase wages and benefits for drivers.

Support grew somewhat — to 42% — if the cost of services were to increase 5% to ensure better benefits and wages for gig workers. But support dropped to 22% if it would lead to a 25% increase in the cost of such services.

Mazur, a stay-at-home mom who says her household income is around $150,000, said she would be willing to pay a few dollars more. “I used to waitress and I used to do these kinds of jobs, so I definitely feel for the workers,” she said.

Hunter, the conservative antique dealer who makes about $60,000 to $70,000 a year, would not.

“If the companies don’t pay enough money, people will leave,” Hunter said. “And if you keep artificially paying people higher wages, it shows up in your economics.”

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The AP-NORC poll of 1,002 adults was conducted July 16-20 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.

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Online:

AP-NORC Center: http://www.apnorc.org/.

By Josh Boak and Emily Swanson | The Associated Press

August 25, 2020

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s the paradox of a pandemic that has crushed the U.S. economy: 12.9 million lost jobs and a dangerous rash of businesses closing, yet the personal finances of many Americans have remained strong — and in some ways have even improved.

A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 45% of Americans say they’re setting aside more money than usual. Twenty-six percent are paying down debt faster than they were before the coronavirus pandemic. In total, about half of Americans say they’ve either saved more or paid down debt since the outbreak began.

The findings highlight the unique nature of the current crisis. Nearly $3 trillion in government aid in the form of direct payments, expanded jobless benefits and forgivable payroll loans helped cushion against the fastest economic downturn in American history. Meanwhile, health fears and mandated closures prompted many Americans to spend less on restaurant meals, clothing and travel.

About two-thirds say they’re spending less than usual during the pandemic. Since February, there has been a $1.3 trillion jump in money kept in checking accounts — a 56% increase tracked by the Federal Reserve. While the greater savings helps to keep families more financially secure, it may also limit the scope of any recovery in a country that relies on consumer spending for growth.

Kent Sullivan, a landscape painter from Orlando, Florida, has been making extra mortgage payments. The 68-year-old and his wife received $1,200 in direct government payments and hope to own their home free and clear within 18 months.

“Everything goes into extra mortgage payments,” he said. “As an artist, it’s feast or famine. You never know if you’re going to get a big commission or if the gallery does well.”

The findings shed light on a persistent riddle of a global pandemic in which a weakened economy has somehow spared most U.S. families from the worst of the financial toll. Just 37% call the national economy good, down from 67% in January. But at the same time, 63% describe their personal financial situation as good, largely in line with what it was before the pandemic began more than six months ago.

People’s positive feelings about their own finances might also be helping President Donald Trump as he seeks reelection this November against former Vice President Joe Biden. About half of Americans, 47%, approve of how Trump is handling the economy. That’s significantly higher than his overall favorable rating of 35%.

“He’s a businessman, not a politician,” said Sally Gansz, 78, from Trinidad, Colorado. “He’ll get jobs back — he did it before.”

But while the initial burst of aid helped Americans, Trump — who touted his ability as a dealmaker in real estate — could not reach an agreement with Democrats to keep the money flowing after many of the benefits expired this month.

Alan Vervaeke, 59, from Gilford, New Hampshire, said the Trump administration’s failure to contain COVID-19 has forced the government to take on debt, rather than investing in infrastructure and scientific research that could help growth long-term.

“The American economy is going to come back, but I don’t think it’s going to be as robust,” said Vervaeke, a military veteran who manages software engineers. “We need an actual statesman who can create opportunities for average Americans, instead of politicians making a lot of promises they may never keep.”

About a quarter of Americans say they’ve been unable to pay at least one bill because of the pandemic, including 14% who’ve been unable to make a rent or mortgage payment, 14% who have been unable to pay a credit card bill and 21% who have been unable to pay another type of bill. Seventeen percent have been unable to pay multiple types of bills.

The downturn has also exposed the depth of inequality in the United States.

About half of Black Americans and roughly 4 in 10 Hispanic Americans say they’ve been unable to pay a bill, compared with about 2 in 10 white Americans. And 66% of Hispanic Americans say they’ve experienced household income loss, compared with 50% of Black Americans and 44% of white Americans.

Overall, about half of Americans say they’ve experienced at least one form of household income loss. That includes 23% who say they’ve experienced a household layoff, 34% who say someone in the household has been scheduled for fewer hours, 22% who’ve taken unpaid time off and 25% who’ve had their wages or salaries reduced.

People in households that have lost income, including a layoff, are about as likely as those who have not to say they’ve been spending less, saving more and paying down debt, though they are also more likely to say they’ve been unable to pay at least one type of bill.

Overall, 48% of those who say someone in their household has been laid off have been unable to pay at least one type of bill, compared with 19% of those who have not.

Those who say they’ve spent less during the pandemic are much more likely than those who have not to say they’re putting more into savings (58% to 21%) and paying down debt faster than usual (32% to 15%).

Those savings might help sustain the economy if the downturn worsens or might propel growth if the coronavirus fades and people become more comfortable with venturing out. Brynn Alexander, 36, is cautiously optimistic.

“It’s better than it was in March, a little bit better,” said Alexander, a mother to four girls with her husband, who serves in Army at Fort Benning, Georgia. “A lot of my friends are getting back to work.”

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The AP-NORC poll of 1,075 adults was conducted Aug. 17-19 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

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Online:

AP-NORC Center: http://www.apnorc.org/.

By Josh Boak and Emily Swanson | The Associated Press

May 22, 2020

WASHINGTON (AP) — Much of the country remains unlikely to venture out to bars, restaurants, theaters or gyms anytime soon, despite state and local officials across the country increasingly allowing businesses to reopen, according to a new survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

That hesitancy in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak could muffle any recovery from what has been the sharpest and swiftest economic downturn in U.S. history. Just 42% of those who went to concerts, movies, theaters or sporting events at least monthly before the outbreak say they’d do so in the next few weeks if they could. Only about half of those who regularly went to restaurants, exercised at the gym or traveled would feel comfortable doing so again.

About a quarter of Americans say someone in their household has lost a job amid that downturn, and about half have lost household income, including layoffs, pay cuts, cut hours or unpaid time off. The majority of those whose household suffered a layoff still believe they will return to their previous employer, but the share expecting their job will not return has risen slightly over the past month, to 30% from 20%.

Amber Van Den Berge, a teacher in Indiana, held off on immediately returning to her second job as a fitness instructor. She would need to pass a test for COVID-19, get her temperature checked each morning and lead class while wearing a protective mask.

“Wear a mask to teach a fitness class? I’m not ready for that,” said Van Den Berge, 39.

The speed and strength of any economic rebound could be thwarted because many fear the risk of new infections. Consumers make up roughly 70% of U.S. economic activity, so anything less than a total recovery in spending would force many companies to permanently close and deepen the financial pain for 39 million people who have lost jobs in roughly the past two months.

Forty-nine percent of Americans approve of how President Donald Trump is handling the economy, the poll shows. That has slipped over the last two months, from 56% in March. Still, the issue remains a relative positive for Trump, whose overall approval rating stands at 41%.

Trump has at times downplayed the threat of the coronavirus and the benefits of testing and has criticized the leadership of Democratic governors. Meanwhile, many Democratic lawmakers have insisted on the importance of containing the disease and sustaining the economy with federal aid.

Greg Yost, a Republican from Rockaway, New Jersey, says he wishes the president would defer more to medical experts, rather than speak off the cuff. But he added that he thinks Trump believes he must defend himself against personal attacks.

“He’s between a rock and a hard place,” Yost said.

But ShyJuan Clemons, 45, of Merrillville, Indiana, says Trump has made the fallout from the pandemic worse by initially denying its dangers and failing to display much empathy for those hurt by the coronavirus.

“Even my cat knows that he’s terrible,” said Clemons, referring to his 14-year-old Siamese mix, Shinji.

Clemons works with special needs people and worries about his hours if Indiana — starved of tax revenues because of the disease — cuts its budget.

But it also shows how an atmosphere of political polarization may be feeding both an eagerness by some to return and a reluctance by others to resume their previous lifestyles.

Among those who did so at least monthly before the outbreak, Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say they’d go to restaurants (69% to 37%), movies, concerts or theaters (68% to 28%), travel (65% to 38%) and go to a gym or fitness studio (61% to 44%).

Sixty-nine percent of those who regularly shopped in person for nonessential items before the outbreak, including majorities among both parties, say they’d be likely to wander malls and stores again. But Republicans are more likely to say so than Democrats, 82% to 61%.

Yost expressed no qualms about going out because he believes the economic damage from shelter-in-place orders will be worse than the deaths from the disease.

“What’s going to happen with depression, homelessness — a lot of other problems are going to arise because we shut down the economy?” said Yost, a vice president of operations at an insurance agency. “I would go to a restaurant and feel comfortable with my kids and not even have masks on.”

Still, there’s an exception to the partisan divide, with 76% of Republicans and 69% of Democrats who get haircuts on at least a monthly basis saying they’d do that in the next few weeks if they could.

The poll finds an overwhelming majority of Americans, 70%, describe the economy as poor, but their outlook for the future is highly partisan. Sixty-two percent of Republicans expect improvement in the coming year, while 56% of Democrats say it will worsen.

At the same time, two-thirds of Americans say their personal finances are good, which has remained steady since before the outbreak began.

Many families have been able to survive the downturn because of aid such as direct payments to taxpayers and expanded unemployment benefits that will expire in July.

Mitchell Durst, 74, has watched the job losses from the sidelines as a retired mathematician in Keyser, West Virginia.

He was already cautious about going out because of a compromised immune system from cancer treatments. The disease stopped his weekly poker game. He lived through the polio crisis, dealt with gas rationing during the 1970s and worked in Nigeria during the Ebola scare.

He calculates the United States will need to be patient about an economic comeback.

“Until we have a vaccine, particularly for those folks at risk, it’s going to be awhile,” Durst said. “If we get something in two years, if we’re so fortunate to be able to do that, I think that would be fantastic.”

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The AP-NORC poll of 1,056 adults was conducted May 14-18 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.

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Online:

AP-NORC Center: http://www.apnorc.org/.

By Sarah Burnett and Emily Swanson

March 19, 2020

CHICAGO (AP) — Concern among Americans that they or a loved one will be infected by the coronavirus rose dramatically in the past month, with two-thirds of the country now saying they’re at least somewhat concerned about contracting the COVID-19 illness.

That’s up from less than half who said so in February. Still, a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that about 3 in 10 Americans say they’re not worried at all about the coronavirus.

And while the survey found that most say they’re taking at least some actions to prevent the disease from spreading, experts say it also shows the country is not doing all of what’s needed to reduce infections, such as canceling travel.

“Some set of people is still going about their daily lives, and that needs to change pretty rapidly,” said Caroline Pearson, a senior vice president at NORC at the University of Chicago and a health policy expert. “Now they need to do the hard things, not just the easy things that don’t disrupt their life.”

The poll found that younger adults have greater concerns about the coronavirus than older Americans, with 43% of adults under 30 being very worried, compared with 21% of those age 60 and over. Pearson said that may be because younger people are more likely to feel uncertain about jobs or health insurance or to worry about older family members like parents or grandparents.

That disparity by age does not match the threat posed by the virus. Deaths to date in the U.S. mirror the experience in other countries, with about 4 out of 5 fatalities occurring in people 65 and older, and no deaths in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While the poll found that about 3 in 10 Americans say they’re highly worried about the illness, about the same number are unconcerned — with 7% saying they were not taking any of the prevention measures asked about in the poll, including more frequent hand washing or staying away from large groups.

That’s a red flag for Libby Richards, a Purdue University nursing professor who teaches courses on population health.

“We do need that 33% to change if we’re going to keep this under control as much as possible,” Richards said, adding that “maybe that 7% of people are already excellent hand washers, but I doubt it.”

The survey found that about 9 in 10 Americans say they’re washing their hands more frequently, roughly 7 in 10 are avoiding large groups and about 6 in 10 are avoiding touching their faces. Older Americans are especially likely to say they’re avoiding large groups, with 77% saying they’ve done that in response to the coronavirus.

Public health officials have urged people to do their part to slow the spread of the virus before hospitals and other health facilities are overwhelmed. Schools and sporting events have been canceled, and restaurants and Las Vegas casinos closed. President Donald Trump’s administration said Monday that people should avoid social gatherings with groups of more than 10 people.

But of those who had travel plans in the next few months, a minority — 22% of those who had domestic travel plans and 41% of those with international travel plans — say they’ve canceled them. About another 3 in 10 of each group say they’ve considered canceling, while the rest are still planning to travel.

On Saturday, Trump expanded European travel restrictions due to the global pandemic, telling Americans, “If you don’t have to travel, I wouldn’t do it.” The CDC has advised that travelers are more likely to get infected if they go to a destination where the virus is spreading and in crowded settings such as airports.

The poll was conducted March 12-16, when information about the virus was changing rapidly, as was the Trump administration’s reaction to it. Trump declared the pandemic a national emergency on March 13, making up to $50 billion available for local and state governments to respond to the crisis, and announced a range of executive actions aimed at expanding testing for the virus. The administration also started work on a $1 trillion aid and stimulus plan.

Richards said she’s hopeful the numbers of Americans worried about the coronavirus would be higher in a poll conducted entirely after Trump declared the national emergency. Still, she said she’s been troubled by people who don’t seem to be taking the warnings seriously, including those she’s seen in images of crowded Florida beaches.

For most people, COVID-19 causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. It can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, for some people, especially older adults and those with existing health problems. Most people recover — those with mild illness in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks, according to the World Health Organization.

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Swanson reported from Washington.

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The AP-NORC poll of 1,003 adults was conducted March 12-16 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.

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Online:

AP-NORC Center: http://www.apnorc.org/.

By Steve Peoples and Hannah Fingerhut | The Associated Press

October 16, 2020

NEW YORK (AP) — The overwhelming majority of voters believe the nation is deeply divided over its most important values, and many have doubts about the health of the democracy itself. And supporters of President Donald Trump and Joe Biden alike think the opposing candidate will make things even worse if elected, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Overall, 85% of registered voters describe Americans as being greatly divided in their values, and only 15% say that democracy in the United States is working extremely or very well. The poll shows voters overall are especially pessimistic about the impact of Trump’s reelection: 65% say divisions would worsen if the Republican president were reelected, a number that includes a quarter of his supporters.

Thirty-five percent of voters believe Biden would divide the country further should he win the presidency. More, 47%, think the country would be unified if the Democrat were elected.

“Somebody’s got to unite our country,” said Gary Conard, a 64-year-old Republican who lives in Clever, Missouri. “I just think our society is confused and in trouble.”

The poll offers a window into the depth of the division and chaos shaping the American electorate less than three weeks before Election Day. Voters are sharply divided over several major issues based on their partisan lenses, including their personal safety during the coronavirus pandemic, the value of diversity and the health of American democracy.

The cavernous rift represents a daunting challenge for the winner of the November election, as voters from each side seem to agree only on one thing: the extent of their divisions.

Fully 88% of Biden supporters and 80% of Trump supporters view Americans as greatly divided on important values. Supporters for both candidates think a win for the opposing side will worsen those divisions: 76% of Trump supporters say this of Biden, and 91% of Biden backers say this of Trump.

About half of all voters say that democracy in the United States is not working well, and about another third think it’s working only somewhat well. Roughly twice as many Biden supporters as Trump supporters have a pessimistic view of the health of democracy. Still, 3 in 10 Trump supporters say democracy isn’t working well. And at least 8 in 10 on both sides say the other candidate’s election would weaken democracy.

While Republicans fear the possibility of what Trump predicts without evidence will be a rigged election, Democrats are worried that inconsistent election laws, voter intimidation and Republican lawsuits will make it more difficult for their supporters to cast ballots given heightened health concerns during the pandemic.

The poll finds fewer than half of voters say they are highly confident that votes in the election will be counted accurately, but more Biden supporters than Trump supporters say that, 53% vs. 28%.

There also are dramatic differences in concerns about the pandemic — and views of Trump’s response to it — based on political leanings.

Nearly 6 in 10 Biden supporters report being very worried that they or someone in their family will be infected with the coronavirus, compared to just about 2 in 10 Trump supporters. Close to half of Trump supporters say they are not worried.

Linda Railey, a 73-year-old Republican who lives in rural Alexander City, Alabama, said she’s not worried about the pandemic because she and her husband are taking precautions like washing their hands, limiting contact with other people and wearing masks when they are in public. They only go to the grocery store and church, she said.

“I worry about it for other people,” Railey said, noting that she lives in a rural area about 15 minutes outside the nearest town. “We stay home as much as we can.”

And as the nation struggles through intense clashes over civil rights, the poll highlights different views on the value of diversity.

Half of Trump supporters said that the nation’s diverse population “of many different races, ethnicities, religions, and backgrounds” makes the country stronger. About 3 in 10 Trump supporters said such diversity doesn’t strengthen or weaken the nation, while about 2 in 10 say it makes the country weaker.

Among Biden supporters, 75% believe that diversity makes the country stronger.

Overall, Biden has an advantage over Trump as the candidate trusted to handle the coronavirus pandemic (52% to 28%), race relations (53% to 28%) and Supreme Court nominations (45% to 34%). Biden and Trump are competitive on the economy, gaining the trust of 43% and 42%, respectively. But each camp overwhelmingly trusts its own candidate over the other to handle key issues.

Noah Talbott, a 22-year-old unaffiliated voter who lives outside Richmond, Virginia, and works at Chick-fil-A, criticized Trump’s leadership on several issues and blamed him for exacerbating political and racial divisions.

“I wouldn’t say I’m proud to be an American right now,” he said. “We’re way too divided.”

Talbott didn’t vote four years ago but said he would vote for Biden this fall — a decision he described as “more of a vote against Trump” than for his Democratic challenger.

For all their differences, the poll found that both Biden and Trump supporters are about equally engaged in the campaign.

Conard, of Missouri, said he doesn’t see an end to the divisions plaguing America, but he said it’s in Trump’s best interests to unify the nation. He plans to vote for the president on Election Day, believing that Biden has already had a chance after spending almost a half-century in Washington.

“One man had 47 years and he didn’t get it done so you’ve got to look somewhere else,” Conrad said. “Trump wants the country to do well. For it to do well and for him to look good, he’s got to bring people together. And he can do it — at least, I hope he can.”

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Fingerhut reported from Washington.

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The AP-NORC poll of 1,121 adults was conducted Oct. 8-12 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

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Online:

AP-NORC Center: http://www.apnorc.org/.