February 09, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States are concerned about job security, according to a poll by YouGov/Polimetrix released by The Economist. 53 per cent of respondents are worried about themselves or someone in their household being out of work.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States are concerned about job security, according to a poll by YouGov/Polimetrix released by The Economist. 53 per cent of respondents are worried about themselves or someone in their household being out of work.

Last year, defaults on so-called subprime mortgages—credit given to high-risk borrowers—have caused volatility in domestic and financial markets and raised concerns that the U.S. economy could fall into a recession.

On Jan. 18, U.S. president George W. Bush discussed the situation, saying, "Our economy is still creating jobs, though at a reduced pace. Consumer spending is still growing, but the housing market is declining. Business investment and exports are still rising, but the cost of imported oil has increased. (...) I’m optimistic about our economic future, because Americans have shown time and again that they are the most industrious, creative, and enterprising people in the world."

The U.S. unemployment rate stood at 4.9 per cent in January, slightly down from 5.0 per cent in December 2007.

Yesterday, Bush discussed his economic policies, saying, "We applied our (conservative) philosophy on issues relating to economic prosperity. When I took office, we inherited a recession—and then we acted. We were guided by this principle: the best way to help our economy grow is to leave money in the hands of those responsible for our prosperity. That, of course, would be the American people. (...) We passed one of the largest tax cuts in American history—and then we cut taxes again. In all, we delivered nearly $2 trillion U.S. in tax relief over the past seven years."

Polling Data

How worried are you that you or someone else in your household might be out of work and looking for a job for any reason?

Very worried	20%
Somewhat worried	33%
Not very worried at all	42%
Not sure	5%

Source: YouGov/Polimetrix / The Economist
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,000 American adults, conducted on Feb. 4 and Feb. 5, 2008. No margin of error was provided.