Post-Pandemic Inflation and Compensatory Changes: Perception, Stress, and Difficulties by Race, Ethnicity, and Those...

Price increases following the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately impacted lower-income households and historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups-those populations who were also disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. This study examined reported economic struggles among Black, White, and Hispanic Americans and evaluated the differential experiences of those infected with COVID-19. Using data from the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey collected between July 2022 and 2023, logistic regression assessed the likelihood of concern about price increases, stress from price changes, and difficulty paying their expenses between racial, ethnic, and sex subgroups who had been infected with COVID-19. Poisson models assessed differences in the compensatory coping strategies used by each group. Relative to White respondents, Black (concern OR = 1.7139, CI = 1.6522,1.7755; stress OR = 1.1627, CI = 1.068, 1.2573; difficulty OR = 1.321, CI = 1.321, 1.322), Hispanic (concern OR = 1.8708, CI = 1.7712, 1.9704; stress OR = 1.5385, CI = 1.451, 1.6261; difficulty OR = 1.343, CI = 1.342, 1.343), and Asian, any other race alone, or race in combination (concern OR = 1.9434, CI = 1.8645, 2.0223; stress OR = 1.4236, CI = 1.3471, 1.5001; difficulty OR = 1.221, CI = 1.22, 1.222) adults were more likely to be concerned about price increases, experience stress from increased prices, and have difficulty paying expenses. Individuals previously infected with COVID-19 (ME = 0.35, CI = 0.30, 0.39) reported making more changes to cope with price increases compared to those who had not been infected with COVID-19, particularly Black adults (ME = 0.01, CI = 0.08, 0.11). Black and Hispanic adults, particularly those who were infected with COVID-19, were more likely to report financial strain, experience difficulties, and use twice as many resources to meet their needs, suggesting that the COVID recovery likely exacerbated post-pandemic financial strain.