How did the 2008 financial crisis affect families?
THE FINANCIAL CRISIS LED TO DECREASES IN WEALTH FOR MOST FAMILIES. More than 60 percent of U.S. families saw their wealth decline between 2007 and 2009 (Bricker et al. 2011 analysis of the SCF panel data). Median net worth fell from $125,400 in 2007 to $96,000 in 2009, for a change in medians of -$29,400.
The Financial Crisis Affected Families with Low Income
Most were struggling to pay monthly household bills. When household income reduces, there is a significant social impact as well. Many experts predicted an increase in family breakdowns with higher divorce rates as well as more suicides.
Altogether, between late 2007 and early 2009, American households lost an estimated $16 trillion in net worth; one quarter of households lost at least 75 percent of their net worth, and more than half lost at least 25 percent.
Increased stress all around. One of the most prevalent ways that recessions affect the average person is simply that stress goes up. It doesn't matter if you're comfortable in your job security and have a hefty financial cushion, or if you're struggling to make ends meet and have $100 in your savings account.
The Great Recession led to significant and persistent drops in both wages and employment. Median real household cash income fell from $57,357 in 2007 to $52,690 in 2011. 15.6 million people were unemployed at the peak of the recession. Poverty increased from 12.5% in 2007 to 15.1% in 2010.
Within the nuclear family, stressors such as job loss, home foreclosure or loss in family savings place strain on parental relationships and on the family as a whole. For already low-income families, the shock may be even more severe with basic needs such as food security, healthcare and shelter going unmet.
One in nine American children has an unemployed parent as a result of the current recession, known by many as the “Great Recession.” These 8.1 million children are more likely to experience homelessness, suffer from child abuse, fail to complete high school or college, and live in poverty as adults than other children.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace reports in its International Economics Bulletin that Ukraine, as well as Argentina and Jamaica, were the countries most deeply affected by the crisis. Other severely affected countries were Romania, Ireland, Russia, Mexico, Hungary, the Baltic states.
The subprime mortgage collapse caused many people to lose their homes. Many Americans faced financial disaster as the value of their homes dropped well below the amount they had borrowed, and subprime interest rates spiked. Monthly mortgage payments almost doubled in some parts of the country.
17951), co-authors Hilary Hoynes, Douglas Miller, and Jessamyn Schaller find that the impacts of the Great Recession (December 2007 to June 2009) have been greater for men, for black and Hispanic workers, for young workers, and for less educated workers than for others in the labor market.
Who suffers most in a recession?
Our findings are summarized as follows: First, the labor market decline in the Great Recession is both deeper and longer than the early 1980s recession. Second, the impacts of the Great Recession have been felt most strongly for men, black and Hispanic workers, youth, and low-education workers.
Higher interest rates that often coincide with the early stages of a recession provide an advantage to savers, while lower interest rates moving out of a recession can benefit homebuyers. Investors may be able to find bargains on assets that have decreased in price during a recession.
Historically, the industries considered to be the most defensive and better placed to fare reasonably during recessions are utilities, health care, and consumer staples.
The hardships of the Great Depression threw family life into disarray. Both marriage and birth rates declined in the decade after the crash. The most vulnerable members of society—children, women, minorities, and the working class—struggled the most. Children, in particular, felt the brunt of poverty.
In the years following the stock market crash, the average family income dropped 40%, and many families lost their entire savings. Many families lost their homes and lived on the streets, or crowded into small apartments with other families. Marriage and births rates declined.
To save money, families neglected medical and dental care. Many families sought to cope by planting gardens, canning food, buying used bread, and using cardboard and cotton for shoe soles. Despite a steep decline in food prices, many families did without milk or meat.
During a recession, there are usually fewer buyers, so houses stay on the market longer. This encourages sellers to lower their listing prices to make their homes easier to sell. You might find it difficult to sell during this period.
Economic expansions create opportunities: new businesses, more jobs, and higher wages. Recessions reduce opportunities: failed businesses, fewer jobs, and lower wages. Recessions normally don't happen every year, but they're not unusual.
Key Takeaways
When the economy is in a recession, financial risks increase, including the risk of default, business failure, job losses, and bankruptcy. Avoid becoming a co-signer on a loan, taking out an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM), or taking on new debt.
The Great Recession (2007 to 2009) had wide-ranging economic effects on Americans of all ages, but older people were relatively insulated from the prolonged economic downturn. Adults ages 65 and older were more likely to be retired and thus less likely to experience the impact of job loss.
Who did the 2008 recession impact?
As a result of the Great Recession, the United States alone lost more than 8.7 million jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, doubling the unemployment rate. Further, U.S. households lost roughly $19 trillion in net worth as the stock market plunged, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Among those reporting a decrease in spending, many cited the need to reduce debt (80 percent), a reduction in income (70 percent), a change in employment status (45 percent), or a decrease in the value of their home (45 percent) or stock holdings (35 percent) as reasons for the decline.
The Crash. The collapse of the housing market during the Great Recession displaced close to 10 million Americans as rising unemployment led to mass foreclosures. 1 In 2008 alone, 3.1 million Americans filed for foreclosure, which at the time was one in every 54 homes, according to CNN Money.
Create passive income sources
Another way people can make money during recessions is by figuring out ways to increase their personal income through passive sources like dividends, interest, and income from renting out unused space, property, or goods.
In 2008, concerns about the value of mortgage- related assets were the main cause of the liquidity crisis experienced by many large financial institutions.
