Fed Survey Finds 73% of Adults Satisfied With Personal Finances, but National Economic Views Worsen

U.S. Households in 2025 report on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. -Israeli war against Iran caused a surge in oil and gas prices in 2026. For the first time, the adoption of generative AI at work was included in the Federal Reserve's annual household survey.

One in four workers used generative AI on the job according to the 2025 survey. Workers with graduate degrees were more than four times as likely to use generative AI as those with a high school diploma. Eighty-one percent of generative AI users at work said it saves them time.

Generative AI users at work were more likely to expect career benefits than to fear job replacement. About one-fourth of adults rated the national economy as “good” or “excellent” in the 2025 survey. The share of adults rating the national economy as good or excellent declined 3 percentage points from 2024.

U.S. adults said they were doing alright or satisfied financially in fall 2025.

The 73% financial satisfaction rate in 2025 was consistent with 2024. The share of adults doing alright or satisfied financially reached a high of 78% in 2021. The 73% financial satisfaction rate in 2025 was the lowest since 74% in 2017.

The share of adults either doing well financially or living comfortably held steady in 2025, but declined among several demographic groups, including low-income, young people and Black adults. Just over 9 in 10 adults cited price increases as either a major or minor financial concern in 2025. The share citing price increases as a financial concern was unchanged from 2024.

Fifty-three percent of adults viewed price increases as a major concern in 2025. Fifty-eight percent of adults said price changes over the past year had made their financial situation worse in 2025. The share saying price changes made their situation worse was down from 60% in 2024.

Worries about finding or keeping a job reached 42% in 2025.

The Federal Reserve's annual household survey found that Americans were mostly satisfied last year with their personal finances, but their perceptions of the national economy worsened, The Washington Times reported. Price increases last fall remained the most common financial concern, but favorable perceptions of people’s local economy and the national economy declined and remained much more pessimistic than before the COVID-19 pandemic.