# Rising costs and tight budgets strain Americans ahead of midterm elections

https://mins.news/en/item/111390

- Al Jazeera, 2026-10-22 15:07 UTC
- Economy
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/10/22/rising-costs-and-tight-budgets-strain-americans-ahead-of-midterm-elections?traffic_source=rss

> Rising living costs are pushing US workers to juggle multiple jobs while making financial security harder to attain. After losing her healthcare marketing job in a merger, Florida resident Stacy Eichel found demand for her custom-branded merchandise business also shrinking as companies cut spending. The U-6 unemployment rate is 7.6 percent, and prices have risen faster than wages, squeezing household purchasing power.