Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Surprise, L.A. Millennials Are Stressed About Money

millennial_stressed.jpg
This millennial is not too #blessed to be #stressed (Photo by Anchiy via Shutterstock)

One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.


Millennials—the 18 to 34-year-olds that are often accused by baby boomers of being lazy, pop culture obsessed and technology-dependent—are also pretty stressed out in Los Angeles about money, which they know less about than food, a new survey reveals. Bank of America and USA Today found in a recent survey that 39% of 1,320 millennials are “chronically stressed” about their finances, and 74% are either sometimes or often worried about money, the L.A. Times reports. On other hand, 44% say they understand their finances and have at least months' worth of living expenses saved up. Top concerns included housing, saving money while living in L.A., being debt-free and figuring out how to spend spending less.

The survey also asks respondents what they felt arenas they had expertise in, and a larger percentage of millennials claimed expertise in food, social media and fashion than personal finance.

This isn't really that surprising, considering that millennials are often required to say they're well-versed in social media to get one of those creative jobs that target millennial applicants but that doesn't pay them enough money to not be stressed out about their finances. Plus, if millennials in Los Angeles are stressed out about the cost of housing, they're not the only ones: rent is pretty high. Also: student loans.

At any rate, it's better insight into the lives of millennials than the opinion of L.A. Times editorialist Chris Erskine, who wrote a snarky Millennial Pledge and, in the face of backlash, suggested millennials would have found it funny if they had been spanked more as children.

One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.

If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today