It's true that there's been a contraction of the number of middle-tier households earning between $45,000 and $90,000. And it's true they are having a tough time. Six in 10 testify to incomes falling behind the cost of living; six in 10 find it hard to pay for gasoline; and five in 10 say they can't afford healthcare. More than a quarter say they have trouble even affording food. To maintain their lifestyle—including those fancy cable TV packages, broadband Internet connections, and travel—they've sent more family members to work, taken on more debt, and borrowed through home equity loans, though the housing slump has undermined that asset.
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