In the United States, adults generally fared better in 2021 than in the decade before the pandemic, according to the FINRA Investor Education Foundation reported this week.

“Our study adds to a growing body of evidence that many American adults have been able to bolster their personal finances during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the many economic disruptions it has unleashed,” said Gerry Walshthe president of the foundation, in a press release.

“At the same time, research shows that certain segments of the population that have historically struggled financially have continued to do so,” Walsh explained.

FINRA conducted a state-by-state online survey between June and October 2021 of 27,118 American adults, or some 500 per state plus the District of Columbia.

Relaunch impact

Fifty-three percent of respondents said they had three months of emergency savings in 2021, compared to 49% in 2018 and just 35% in 2009. Additionally, 54% said they had no difficulty cover their expenses and pay their bills, compared to 50% in 2018 and 36% in 2009.

But 20% of those surveyed said they were laid off or furloughed in 2020 or 2021 because of the pandemic, and 26% experienced a large and unexpected drop in income.

FINRA suggested that pandemic-related enhanced unemployment benefits and stimulus payments could explain some of the financial resilience documented in the study.

Fifty-nine percent of participants said they used stimulus funds to make purchases or pay bills. Many Americans added this money to their savings or used it to pay off debt.