Posted on 10/16/21
| News Source: Times of Israel
Nearly one in six adult Jewish New Yorkers experienced financial setbacks during the pandemic, and three-quarters of Jewish New Yorkers who said they have a substance abuse problem said it worsened during that period.
That’s according to a new study by the UJA-Federation of New York, which surveyed 4,400 Jews in and around New York City to guide its philanthropic efforts to meet the most pressing needs of New Yorkers.
The survey found that while Jewish New Yorkers overall experienced less severe economic and psychological effects of the pandemic than other populations, they were hardly unaffected.
The poll found that 22 percent of adults in Jewish households faced reduced hours or income in the last year, 8% had been laid off and 12% had been furloughed. It also found a 12% unemployment rate for adults in Jewish households compared with 10% in the overall population in New York City and Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties.
The study found that one in five adults in Jewish households reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, and a similar number experienced more symptoms since the start of the pandemic. One in 10 adults in Jewish households indicated that they have a substance abuse problem, and 72% of those who reported an abuse problem said it worsened during the pandemic.