Impact of the Pandemic on Americans, Young and Old: Household Finances, Stress, and the Role of Government during COVID-19

Examines the behaviors, attitudes, and opinions by age of Americans as measured in a December 2020 survey conducted by the Heldrich Center.

A new Work Trends brief takes a deep dive into survey respondents’ behaviors, attitudes, and opinions by age. The analysis shows that adults ages 18 to 44 describe considerable worry and stress for themselves and their families, but also say they are confident President Biden can manage the pandemic. While Americans age 65 and over are less likely to say they have trouble paying their bills, they are also more worried about the toll of the pandemic on the economy and are less likely to say they have confidence in the Biden administration’s ability to manage the pandemic, compared to younger people. Americans agree on various political and economic attitudinal measures regardless of age, such as rating the government’s handling of the economy and their concern about the unemployment rate and other economic indicators, yet there appears to be statistical differences in opinion by age regarding the role of government.