More Young People in Debt

The credit crunch is putting the squeeze on younger Americans, a survey finds.

By Michael Gadd | 
 

The economic downturn and tighter credit conditions have younger Americans worried about their finances, new research shows.

A recent survey of 600 18- to 34-year-olds by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research found that more than three quarters were in debt. Over half cited financial problems as a top concern, the Washington D.C.-based research firm reported.

The survey found a growing number of young people are struggling to pay off credit-card debt, with one in three owing more than $10,000. Many said they carry a balance month-to-month, making only minimum payments.

Though respondents said they've used discount coupons or curbed spending on clothes and music to save money in the past, few have cut off credit card use to prevent accumulating debt.

"How we fare as a nation in the twenty-first century global economy will largely depend on how and whether younger generations catch their economic footing," Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, a sponsor of the study, said in a statement.

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