Making Ends Meet: How Families Cope with Inflation and Recession

A survey of almost 2000 families in 1976 found that 59 percent had fallen behind rising prices and almost as many, 52 percent, were hurting because of inflation. The families most affected by inflation and recession were the less privileged ones, those of low income, the retired, the semiskilled and unskilled, and members of minority groups, the Blacks and Spanish speaking. A variety of coping mechanisms were identified, ranging from...