About half of lower-income Americans report household job or wage loss due to COVID-19

As the economic toll from the coronavirus outbreak continues to mount, the impact is falling more heavily on lower-income Americans. Roughly half in this group say that they or someone in their household has lost a job or taken a pay cut due to the outbreak, compared with 43% of all U.S. adults. And only 23% say they have emergency funds that would last them three months. See all of our coronavirus coverage.  

• More than half of Americans who expect a coronavirus aid payment from the government say they will use the majority of it to pay bills
• The financial risk to U.S. business owners posed by COVID-19 outbreak varies by demographic group
• Not all unemployed people get unemployment benefits; in some states, very few do

Positive economic views plummet; support for government aid crosses party lines

Just 23% of Americans now rate economic conditions in the country as excellent or good, down sharply from 57% at the start of the year. Identical 89% majorities of Republicans and Democrats say the $2 trillion economic aid package passed in March was the right thing to do. And about seven-in-ten Americans believe the economic problems resulting from the coronavirus outbreak will last for at least six months, including 39% who say they will last a year or more.

• Who Americans say will benefit from the federal aid package

Older Americans continue to follow COVID-19 news more closely than younger adults

An overwhelming majority of U.S. adults said in late March that they were following news about the COVID-19 pandemic very or fairly closely. But there are some notable differences by age. While more than two-thirds of adults ages 65 and older said they were following news of the pandemic very closely, only about four-in-ten Americans ages 18 to 29 said the same.

• Explore the data in our interactive tool

U.S. views of China increasingly negative amid coronavirus outbreak

Roughly two-thirds of Americans now say they have an unfavorable view of China, the most negative rating for the country since the Center began asking the question in 2005 and up nearly 20 percentage points since the start of the Trump administration. Positive views of President Xi Jinping are also at historically low levels.

• Americans most concerned about China’s environmental impact and cyberattacks
• Nigerians living near a major Belt and Road project grew more positive toward China after it was completed

Populations skew older in some of the countries hit hard by COVID-19

Some of the countries where COVID-19 has been deadliest – including the United States and Italy – have populations that skew considerably older than the global average. 

• With billions confined to their homes worldwide, which living arrangements are most common?
• More than nine-in-ten people worldwide live in countries with travel restrictions amid COVID-19

Most Democrats who are looking for a relationship would not consider dating a Trump voter

Some Democrats are bothered nominee is an older white man – and they solidly back Biden in November

Americans are divided by religion on who should get critical care if there is a shortage of ventilators

As schools shift to online learning during COVID-19 pandemic, here’s what we know about disabled students in the U.S.

U.S. newspapers have shed half of their newsroom employees since 2008

How Americans see climate change and the environment in 7 charts

From our research