57% of Working Americans Say They're Middle Class, Lowest Level in Two Years
One-in-five working Americans continue to classify themselves as poor, while the number of those who consider themselves middle class has fallen to a two-year low.
Jobs/Employment
Most Recent Releases
July 12, 2011
July 8, 2011
Hiring Expectations Peaked Last November
Last November, the Rasmussen Employment Index capped four months of improvement by reaching its highest level since February 2008. At that time, the number of workers who reported their firms were hiring (20.5%) was nearly equal to the number reporting layoffs (20.7%). That was the best net hiring number (-0.2) since the financial industry melted down in September 2008. It also turns out to be the peak of the post-bailout era.
July 7, 2011
40% See Better Job In Their Future
American workers are more confident that their next job will be better than their current one, but most still aren’t looking for other work just yet.
June 9, 2011
54% Say Men and Women Don’t Receive Equal Pay For Equal Work
Working Americans are more skeptical than ever that men and women are equally paid for comparable work, but there remains a wide difference of opinion between the sexes on the question.
June 8, 2011
66% Say Private Sector Employees Work Harder Than Government Workers
Most Americans still believe government workers work less and make more money than those employed by private companies. Yet while the majority also thinks government workers enjoy more job security, they’re less convinced of that than they were a year ago.
June 6, 2011
34% Say It’s Good for the Economy If Government Hires More
One-out-of-three Americans think it’s good for the U.S. economy if the government puts more people on the payroll, but most adults still don’t see government as the solution to long-term unemployment.
June 4, 2011
89% Say New Graduates Will Have Tough Time Finding a Job
With most college graduations over and high school graduations in progress, the impending entry into the “real world” is on the minds of many young adults, and often, the first thought is finding a job. But Americans overwhelmingly believe that won't be easy for this year's graduates.
June 3, 2011
31% Expect Unemployment Rate To Be Even Higher A Year From Now
Even as the government releases a new report showing surprisingly little job creation in May and an increase in the unemployment rate, nearly one-out-of-three Americans predict that the unemployment rate will be higher a year from now.
May 10, 2011
72% of Working Adults Say Leaving Their Current Job Will Be Their Choice
Most working Americans continue to plan on staying with their current employer, but now nearly three-out-four say it will be their choice when it comes time to move on.
May 9, 2011
20% Classify Themselves As the Working Poor
The number of working poor is at a recent high, but workers in general are expressing slightly more confidence in their short-term earnings.
March 31, 2011
Only 7% Think Government Employees Work Harder Than Those in Private Sector
Adults nationwide continue to believe government workers have it easier than those in the private sector.
March 30, 2011
26% See Long-Term Government Solution to Chronic Unemployment
Roughly one-in-four Americans now think the government should assume responsibility for those who have been unemployed for an extended period of time.
March 28, 2011
81% Know Someone Out of Work and Looking for a Job
Eight-out-of-10 Americans continue to know someone who is unemployed and currently looking for work. Most adults also remain pessimistic about the future job market.
March 23, 2011
Americans Still Have Mixed Feelings on U.S. Job Market
While Americans continue to have mixed feelings on the possibility of finding work, they still believe it’s possible for anyone to dig themselves out of an economic hole.
March 15, 2011
26% Say Laying Off 100,000 Federal Workers Would Help Economy, 49% Disagree
Budget worries aside, Americans aren’t prepared yet to abruptly cut the size of the government work force.
March 13, 2011
3% Say Ivy League Schools Produce Better Workers
Ronald Reagan was the last president we had who didn't graduate from an Ivy League school like Harvard or Yale, and the highest levels of government for much of the nation's history have been filled with Ivy League grads. But that doesn't seem to influence the thinking of most American Adults.
March 11, 2011
Americans Say Pay Should Be Based on Performance Instead of Education, Seniority
Most American Adults think how much money an individual is paid should depend more on what they get done on the job rather than their educational background or how long they’ve worked for a company.
March 10, 2011
Workers Less Optimistic About Future Earnings
Only one out of three (33%) workers nationwide expects to earn more money a year from now, marking the lowest level of optimism in nearly two years.
March 9, 2011
30% of Workers Looking For Job Outside Current Company
The number of employees looking for a new employer has reached its highest level in nearly two years.
March 6, 2011
47% See Increased Government Hiring as Bad for Economy
Most Americans favor some kind of government action to help the unemployed, but now nearly half oppose the idea of the government simply hiring more workers.
