U.S. households reported little change in their economic well-being last year, with the cost of living remaining a top concern but nearly three-quarters of adults saying they were "doing OK or living comfortably," the Federal Reserve reported in an annual survey of people's attitudes about the economy.

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• 73% of US households said they were at least doing OK in 2024 vs 72% in 2023
• Just 29% considered the economy to be "good" or "excellent," up from 22% in 2023
• 60% of households felt inflation was making their life worse, down from 65% in 2023
• 63% of adults said they had the cash for a $400 emergency expense, unchanged from 2023

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The poll of 12,295 respondents was fielded in October, capturing the economic mood in the closing weeks of a presidential campaign that returned Republican Donald Trump to the White House.

The poll found 73% of respondents at least doing OK economically versus 72% in the year before and below the recent high of 78% in 2021, when federal pandemic income support programs were running full steam.

That overall finding, though, masked significant divisions among varying demographic groups. Among those with a college degree, 87% said they were doing OK, unchanged from the year before, but just 47% of those with less than a high school diploma said the same.

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In contrast to views about their personal circumstances, however, only 29% considered the economy as a whole to be "good" or "excellent," higher than the 22% reading in 2023 but well below the 50% who held that view in 2019, before the pandemic.

Though inflation had moderated by late last year, prices remained a top concern with 60% of adults saying rising prices from one year to the next had worsened their finances and 79% changing their shopping and spending habits as a result.

In 2023, 65% of those surveyed had felt inflation was making their financial life worse.

One closely followed topline question about cash available for emergency spending showed no change, with 63% of adults saying they would cover an unexpected $400 expense "using cash or its equivalent," the same as in the past two years but down from 68% in 2021.

The survey also showed the fading effects of the "Great Resignation" in the job market, a pandemic-triggered reshuffling of the workforce.

The share of people who reported starting a new job or quitting an old one fell slightly to 14% and 9%, respectively, compared to recent peaks of 15% and 11% in 2022.

Among those workers who changed jobs, the share who felt it was better than their old one fell to 62% from 67% in 2023 and 72% in 2022.

The survey also found relatively low usage of cryptocurrencies, with just 8% reporting having either invested in them or used them for making transactions, up one point from 2023 but down from 12% in 2021 when the Fed first asked the question.