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[Food Insecurity Exacerbates K-Shaped Economic Divergence in the US, Dragging Down Consumer Confidence in Low-Income Families] A new research report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reveals that food insecurity in the United States is rapidly escalating, which is one of the core reasons why, despite the overall stable US economy, consumer confidence remains low. The bank's survey data shows that from October 2025 to February 2026, many groups across the US will face situations such as using savings to make ends meet, food shortages, forced dieting, and reliance on social food assistance, with a significant increase in the proportion of such households. This problem affects all age groups and ethnicities, with low-income, low-education, non-white, and families with young children being the most severely impacted. These families generally experience pessimism, and their employment expectations have also declined sharply. The report further confirms the K-shaped economic divergence pattern in the US: the wealthy enjoy economic benefits through stock market appreciation, stable employment, and low-cost mortgages; while a large number of low- and middle-income groups are mired in financial difficulties, suppressed by high inflation, high interest rates, and high living costs, with persistently high default rates on credit cards, car loans, and student loans. Industry analysts say that rising economic pessimism among the American public stems from two main factors: firstly, the government's increase in import tariffs and energy volatility caused by the Middle East conflict, leading to a rebound in inflationary pressures; and secondly, a cooling domestic job market, with the hiring boom of the pandemic phase over and a more conservative approach to job creation, further exacerbating the survival pressure on low-income families and highlighting the widening gap between the rich and poor.