In the first three months of the year, more consumers had trouble paying down their credit cards and other debts, largely because of higher food and gas prices, according to an industry report released Thursday.
The ABA said the data showed a downturn from previous quarters and described the most recent quarter as a "soft patch."
The delinquency rate on credit cards issued by banks increased to 3.4% in the first quarter from 3.28% in the previous three months, reports the American Bankers Association.
The ABA defines a delinquency as a payment that is 30 days or more overdue.
"Consumers are feeling insecure about the economy and whether their financial resources can carry them through until conditions improve," ABA chief economist James Chessen said in a statement. "With a slow-growing economy and weak job growth, there will continue to be financial stress that will make it hard for some people to pay their bills on time."
The ABA tracks late payments for bank-provided credit cards, auto loans, home equity lines of credit and other consumer loans.
Consumers are having an easier time making payments on these bills than a year ago but the report illustrates the impact of the weak economic recovery and continued high unemployment.
Another measure of consumer delinquencies that includes auto and home equity loan payments also rose. That delinquency measure increased to 2.71% in the first quarter from 2.68% in the fourth quarter of 2010.
The economy grew by an anemic 1.8% annualized rate in the first quarter and unemployment stands at 9.1%.
Both political parties are now engaged in a battle over what deficit reduction plans should be part of a deal to raise the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling, which the administration estimates will be hit on August 2.
Significant policies aimed at creating jobs or growing the economy are unlikely to come out of Washington before the 2012 elections due to differences between President Obama and congressional Republicans.
Until the economy begins growing more quickly, the ABA said it does not expect the consumer delinquency numbers to change much.
