As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate, the United States has recently been facing a barrage of troubles, with an increasing number of infections that seem overwhelming. The unemployment issue triggered by this is even more distressing.
10 million people are unemployed, and the government provides three free meals
According to media reports, starting from April 3rd local time, New York City began offering free meals to everyone without the need for identity checks. Previously, New York had offered free meals to all students, and this time it expanded to provide three meals a day to all citizens.
New York City has set up a total of 435 distribution points for free meals, where people can pick up free breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
This scene easily reminds everyone of the past famines when people couldn't get enough to eat, and the wealthy would set up porridge stalls to provide relief to the victims. It's likely that the current situation in the United States is not much better, with some people indeed struggling to have a meal.
According to a survey, among Americans with an annual income of less than $50,000, half of them have savings that would last at most three months, and 18% of them have no savings at all. For those with no savings, losing their jobs means no food to eat.
Americans' consumption concepts are quite different from those of the Chinese; they mostly do not save money and believe in consuming ahead of their means. That is to say, even if they do not consume anything in a month, they still have to pay a lot of bills for previous consumption.
A Chinese student once said that Americans do not save money, and if they do not receive their salaries, most people's money would only last for about two weeks.
Of course, this view may be somewhat one-sided and cannot represent the actual situation of the vast majority of people, but it at least reflects the attitude of some Americans towards saving money.The current outbreak of the pandemic in the United States is not optimistic, and the impact on the economy is unimaginable. Within just the last two weeks, 10 million people have become unemployed.
According to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor, during the weeks of March 15th to March 21st and March 22nd to March 28th, the number of people filing for unemployment benefits for the first time were 3.307 million and 6.648 million, respectively. The nearly 10 million unemployment figures over two weeks are indeed shocking. Moreover, it is uncertain whether this number will continue to rise.
For those who have become unemployed, the first problem they face is survival. The duration of this pandemic is unknown, and economic recovery seems far away. Under such circumstances, the United States, once considered a paradise, has suddenly turned into a purgatory. The threats to people are not only the virus and the pandemic but also basic food issues.
Compared to the current situation in the United States, China seems more like a paradise.
Our country has just emerged from the shadow of the pandemic. During the two months when the pandemic was at its worst, many people also experienced this pain, with no income, various loans to repay, and uncertainty about where the money for tomorrow's meals would come from. This is a nightmare for anyone.
However, compared to the situation in the United States, we are much better off. Our timely and effective prevention and control measures have minimized the harm of the pandemic. Controlling the pandemic in just two months, such efficiency has amazed the world.
For the ordinary people in China, the situation is also much better.
Firstly, as a socialist country, when faced with such natural disasters and calamities, the state will introduce policies for assistance, such as postponing loan repayment deadlines, advocating for rent reductions, and delaying social security payments, etc., which have greatly reduced the pressure for many people.Secondly, most people in our country have the habit of saving. Although in recent years, the savings rate of our people has decreased, and the trend of consumption in advance and consumption through borrowing has increased. However, compared with the American people, the concept of saving of our people is still much better, and most people have a certain amount of savings.
The most important thing is that now, in the eyes of the whole world, China is the safest country and the place closest to "paradise".
Regarding economic recession, we must have some understanding.
Some experts predict that the economic recession in the United States this time is almost a foregone conclusion, it's just a matter of the degree and time of the recession. In the context of the highly interdependent global economy, the economic recession in the United States will inevitably have an immeasurable impact on the world economy.
In the case of a bad economic situation, everyone should reflect on their own attitude towards life and consumption, and there must be some understanding, otherwise, bad things will come sooner or later.
1. Crises and accidents are everywhere. Before this epidemic came, we never thought that an epidemic would come so fiercely and so tragically, and it would have such a great impact on our lives.
That's because we haven't been exposed to such a widespread crisis, most of us haven't experienced war, and we haven't experienced such a scale of natural disasters. But natural disasters, man-made disasters, crises and accidents have always been there, it's just that we don't know, and we don't know when the next one will come.
2. We must develop the habit of saving. We live in China, which is rising rapidly, and our motherland is our strongest backing, but how we live still depends on ourselves.
Take this epidemic as an example, our motherland has done enough for us, free medical treatment, strict prevention and control. But no one can change the fact that we can't start work, and to deal with such a situation, you must have savings, enough money to deal with unexpected situations. So, start from now on, develop the habit of saving.3. Minimize non-essential spending. Although the money we have is earned through our own hard work, many people do not cherish it well and may even have a compensatory mindset, wanting to use material possessions to make up for their hard work and contributions. The only result of this approach is that the money earned through hard work is spent in the blink of an eye. Therefore, it is essential to reduce unnecessary expenditures in life and to approach consumption rationally.
4. Continuously invest in assets whenever possible. What are assets? They are tangible items and securities that can generate income for you, including real estate, gold, stocks, funds, and so on. For instance, an Apple phone purchased for 5000 yuan 10 years ago is now worthless; however, a fund bought for 5000 yuan 10 years ago might now be worth 8000 yuan or even more. Of course, if you could have used your savings to buy a house, its value might have multiplied several times by now. Assets can bring you income, but consumer goods lose their value once they are consumed, and that is the reality.
In fact, whether it is financial management or saving, it is all about preparing for the future and being ready for unexpected events. Only by making a little sacrifice now can we have a better tomorrow and face emergencies with composure. Don't you agree?
