General Business

Good Investment Advice Only for the Rich

Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of investing Americans believe that those with more money are able to get better financial advice than those with less money.

Worker Confidence Falls Five Points

U.S. worker confidence in the employment market declined in May, as the Hudson Employment Index fell 5.4 points to 102.3. Lowered optimism regarding personal finances and less anticipated hiring contributed to the drop.

Tax Views

A quarter century after Ronald Reagan rode the tax revolt to the White House, Americans continue to believe that tax cuts help the economy and tax hikes hurt.

Worker Confidence Strong

Worker confidence in the U.S. labor market remained strong in April as the Hudson Employment Index(SM) climbed 1.5 points to 107.7. The April reading, which is 5.3 points higher than this time last year, was fueled by a surge in hiring expectations among employees and managers.

72% of Workers Satisfied with Compensation

The number of workers expecting their employers to boost headcount in the coming months rose two points in April to an all-time high of 34 percent. Private sector workers were even more optimistic with 40 percent expecting their firms to add staff.

Worker Confidence Cools, But Remains Hot in March

Coming off of a 15-month high of 108.2 in February, the Hudson Employment IndexSM fell two points in March to 106.2. While none of the factors influencing the Index reported any noteworthy changes, there was a slight easing of optimism virtually across the board.

23% Search for Work on Employer's Computer

One-quarter (23 percent) of U.S. workers who use a computer at work admit to having searched for a new job on their companies' time and resources, according to a new survey by Hudson.

Workplace Training Waste of Time for Many

One in three workers claims that the most recent employer-provided training they attended probably was not worth their time, according to results of a national survey of 1,674 employees conducted by Hudson. In fact, 12 percent say their most recent training session was a total waste of time.

Partisan Economics

The Rasmussen Index, which measures the confidence of consumers on a daily basis, finds that the Republican level of economic confidence is nearly twice as high as Democrats. Confidence among the GOP faithful is measured at 160.3. This compares to a Rasmussen Index reading of 85.2 for Democrats. Those not affiliated with either party are in the middle at 105.9.

Partisan Economics

Overall perceptions of the economy have been improving in recent months, but Republicans and Democrats continue to view the economy from entirely different perspectives. Republicans see a glass that is more than half full while Democrats see one that is almost empty.

68% Say Their Investments Gained Value in 2004

Sixty-eight percent (68%) of American Investors say their personal investment portfolios are worth more today than they were a year ago. A Rasmussen Reports survey found that 25% of Investors believe their portfolios declined in value.

51% Receive Equal Pay for Equal Work

Fifty-one percent (51%) of American workers say they receive equal pay for equal work, whereas 37% do not.

Workers Perceive Offshore Outsourcing as Threat to Economy, Not Themselves

While 66% of U.S. workers believe that offshore outsourcing of jobs is bad for the U.S. economy, an overwhelming 84 percent believe it is not likely that their job could be moved to an offshore location.

Just 6% say it is very likely that their job could be sent overseas according to a national poll of 2,814 workers released by Hudson Global Resources. The survey was conducted by Rasmussen Reports.

23% Say Their Firms Outsource Jobs to Entrepreneurs

Company outsourcing of jobs to smaller firms and the self-employed has created a created a large pool of entrepreneurs who derive revenue from large companies.

Data collected as part of the Hudson Employment Index shows that more than 9 million workers now work in this segment of the economy. Many of these workers would probably have been employed directly by large companies at an earlier point in time.

GOP, Democrats See Different Economies

Republicans and Democrats have entirely different perspectives on the U.S. economy.

What a Difference a Year Makes!

One year ago today, America's economic confidence was low and heading even lower. The Rasmussen Consumer Index kept falling in the week after Christmas until it reached the lowest level of 2002 on the very last day of that year. At 93.8, the economic confidence of American consumers had fallen more than 30 points in nine months.