Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) released the findings of its latest Nielsen Audio Consumer Sentiment survey, an ongoing study series addressing current American sentiment about the COVID pandemic and how it impacts their lives. The study revealed that Americans have substantial resilience in the face of the pandemic and have found ways to adapt. Nearly nine in ten (86%) said they were spending the same amount or more since the Delta variant emerged. Despite the Delta variant and increasing COVID cases in the summer, more than eight in ten (82%) don’t think their own financial situation will change in the coming months.

The study includes insights about the Delta variant, vaccines, consumer outlook on the economy, and weekly activities encompassing schooling, employment, transportation, and purchasing habits. The seventh study in the series was conducted in September and reflects responses from 1,022 respondents across the U.S.

Seven in ten working Americans now work outside the home, which is an 80% jump since April 2020. The gain in those who work outside the home is a key statistic for Audio since consumers spend more time with radio when they travel in vehicles to get to work or shop.  There were also big gains in the area of transportation. Overall, nearly a third (31%) are spending more than an hour in their vehicles yesterday compared with 14% in April of last year. That’s a two-fold increase, and heavy radio listeners are far more likely to spend more time in their vehicles. In September, 55% of heavy radio listeners spent more than an hour in their vehicle yesterday.

“Americans have become remarkably resilient despite COVID and the Delta variant,” said Brad Kelly, Managing Director, Nielsen Audio. “Consumers are returning to more normal weekly activities like returning to work, getting on the road in their cars and trucks, and going out to shop, dine and entertain. As more businesses open for in person and hybrid work, more time will be spent in a vehicle on their daily commute with radio as their driving companion.”

Among the other findings from the study:

• Vaccines

  • Currently, nearly three-quarters have gotten the vaccine or plan to do so and the proportion who are uncertain about getting the shot has declined from 26% in March to 8% in September. Those who do not intend to get the vaccine declined from 20% in March 2021 to 17% in September.

  • Those who have gotten their shot or plan to get one tend to be male and older.

  • Those who are uncertain or don’t plan to get the vaccine tend to be younger, female, and Hispanic.

• Top weekly activities

  • The study looked at the top 10 weekly activities consumers engaged in during the peak of the pandemic compared to September 2021. We see big gains in September compared with April 2020 among activities that were restricted during the lockdown such as shopping at stores, getting together with friends and family, dining out, shopping for clothes, going to coffee shops, and planning vacations.

  • Audio listeners are more likely to engage in the top weekly activities compared with the average. On average, radio listeners are 9% more likely to participate in the top 10 activities and podcast listeners are 6% more likely to engage in these top activities. Radio listeners are more likely to order take-out, dine at restaurants, shop for clothes and non-grocery items, visit coffee shops, and plan vacations. Podcast listeners have a similar pattern and are actively engaged in shopping, driving, going out, and dining at restaurants.

• Schooling

  • In June, at the end of the last school year, the proportion of children attending in-person classes was only slightly higher than those who were in a mix of virtual and in-person. Now with the new school year in September, those attending classes in person jumped to nearly 70% compared with 13% who go to virtual only classes or a mix of virtual and in-person classes. This is good for audio since more in-person classes means more people in cars getting to school and more radio listening.

  • Last year, nearly as many kids were getting to school on a bus as those who were getting rides from family or in a carpool. Now nearly twice as many kids are being driven to school versus those who are taking the bus.

  • With more kids attending class in person and more getting to school in vehicles there is a lot of listening to radio on the way to school.  More than nine in ten say that the radio is sometimes or always on during the drive to school.

• How Local Shopping Has Changed

  • Ninety percent of American consumers say they are willing to shop at stores in person despite the current state of the pandemic.  This is a good sign for the coming holiday season and main street retailers who depend on foot traffic.  Roughly six in 10 say they are willing to attend outdoor events like sports and concerts, but there is still some hesitation about indoor events with 46% willing to attend.  More than half say they are willing to work in an office setting, but that may change in the months ahead with workplace vaccination requirements.

• Travel

  • Substantial numbers (46%) are willing to travel on airplanes now. It is possible that pent-up travel demand will make more consumers open to business and vacation travel in the months ahead.

  • Only 31% say they are willing to use public transportation considering the state of the pandemic which suggests that we may experience more people on the road as they get to work, shop, and drive their kids to school.

• Listening to AM/FM Radio

  • Radio’s average quarter-hour (AQH) audience trend is up 4% year over year, with 7.5 million people age 12+ listening during an average quarter-hour in PPM Markets in September 2021.

  • Radio’s reach trend is stable. Radio reached 121.5 million consumers in PPM markets during an average week in September 2021.

  • In Continuous Diary Measurement markets, Radio’s reach and AQH audience have been remarkably stable during the past year.

About the Nielsen Survey

These results are from an ongoing series of studies looking at consumer sentiment about the COVID-19 crisis, and how people feel about what’s happening in their towns and the state of the recovery.  The study was Conducted April 2020, May 2020, June 2020, October 2020,  and March, June, and September 2021. It is a National Online survey of 1,022 persons 18+