Financial Struggles Facing Working Families in Hawaiʻi

February 2016

Executive Summary

A recent poll of 503 Hawaiʻi residents was conducted by QMark Research beginning on February 17, 2016 and ending on February 29, 2016. The findings of the poll revealed the personal financial struggles that many working families currently face in the islands. Some of the highlights include:

• Half (48%) currently describes their own personal financial situation as being one that survives “paycheck-to-paycheck.”

• One in four (25%) Hawaiʻi residents have, in the last five years, worried about how they would pay that month’s rent or mortgage.

• 21% have worried about how they would come up with enough money to pay their monthly utility bill.

• One in five (20%) Hawaiʻi residents have faced a medical crisis which caused financial worry and hardship and questions as to how they would pay these bills.

• 17% of the families polled indicate they have worried about being able to provide basics such as food on the table for loved ones.

The survey results also show that Hawaiʻi residents are highly concerned about the state’s high cost of housing and low wages and that they support targeted tax credits to help them make ends meet:

• 95% believe the high cost of housing is a very serious or important problem in Hawaiʻi.

• Almost nine out of 10 (89%) believe the low wages paid to many residents is a very serious or important concern.

• Six out of seven (86%) of the respondents indicated support for a tax credit that lets low and moderate income working families keep more of what they earn.