根據美國汽車協會6月9日數據，美國普通汽油平均價格達到了每加侖4.99美元（約合人民幣33.5元）。高油價正在影響所有美國開車的人，但低收入家庭首當其沖。這是因為，與富裕家庭相比，低收入家庭在交通成本和生活必需品（如食品和能源）上的支出占比更高。

For lower-income Americans, high gas prices can set off a cycle of hardship.
對于美國低收入人群來說，高油價可能引發一系列難題。

Driving the news: The daily US average national price for a gallon of regular climbed to $4.99 as of Thursday morning — a cent shy of the symbolic $5 threshold, according to AAA.
美國汽車協會數據顯示，截至6月9日上午，美國一加侖普通汽油均價攀升至4.99美元，比象征性的5美元門檻低了一美分。

Those at the top spent the equivalent of about 2% of their income on gas in 2019. That's the most recent year for which the Bureau of Labor Statistics has survey data that are not skewed by weird pandemic behavior.
美國勞工統計局最新調查數據顯示，2019年，美國高收入人群的汽油支出相當于其收入的2%。這些數據沒有受到新冠疫情的影響。

Those at the lower end of the income scale devoted 8% of their after-tax income to gas in 2019. (Although many living in urban areas without cars are spared the expense.)
2019年，低收入人群的汽油支出占其稅后收入的8%（盡管許多沒有汽車的城市居民可以省下這筆費用。）

In 2008, when gas prices hit a record (inflation-adjusted) high, that group spent close to 12%.
2008年，當油價創下歷史新高（根據通脹調整后）時，低收入人群的汽油支出接近12%。

This data looks at gas expenditures as a percentage of income. A more common practice is to slice the numbers as a percentage of overall household spending.
該數據計算的是汽油支出占收入的百分比。更常見的是計算汽油支出占家庭總開支的百分比。

It looks different that way: The lowest 20% of earners devoted 3.7% of their spending to gas versus 2.7% for the highest earners, per BLS.
這樣數據就有所變化：根據美國勞工統計局的數據，占比20%的低收入人群的汽油支出占家庭總開支的3.7%，而高收入人群汽油支出占比2.7%。

Meanwhile, more recent data, from Bank of America, shows that Americans who earn less than $50,000 a year are currently spending nearly 10% of their credit card bills on gas, compared with 6% for households earning more than $125,000.
與此同時，美國銀行最新數據顯示，年收入低于5萬美元的美國人目前的信用卡賬單汽油消費占比接近10%，而年收入超過12.5萬美元的家庭則為6%。

For those who must drive to work, higher gas prices are essentially a pay cut.
對于那些必須開車上班的人來說，油價上漲本質上是一種降薪。

"It can create a cascade of other hardships," said former Federal Reserve economist Claudia Sahm. If an increased share of your money goes to gas, you have to make painful choices about where that cash comes from.
前美聯儲經濟學家克勞迪婭·薩姆表示：“油價上漲可能會引發一系列其他困難?！比绻愕募佑椭С鲈蕉?，就不得不在其他方面削減開支。

This comes at a time of rising food prices, which are also pinching lower-income households.
同時食品價格也在上漲，這使低收入家庭雪上加霜。

來源：Axios
編輯：董靜