Jobs/Employment

51% Favor Raising Minimum Wage to $10.10 an Hour

Support for raising the minimum wage remains unchanged from earlier this year, with half of Americans continuing to favor President Obama's proposal to push it up to $10.10 an hour.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of American Adults favor raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10. That’s essentially unchanged from late February but down from a high of 61% in July of last year. Thirty-nine percent (39%) still oppose raising the minimum wage to that level, also unchanged from February but up from 29% last summer. Nine percent (9%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on May 6-7, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Most Still Think Government Workers Better Off Than Those in Private Sector

Americans still believe government workers not only earn more money than those in the private sector but also work less and have more job security. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of American Adults think the average government employee earns more annually than the average private sector worker. Half as many (26%) disagree, but 23% are not sure. (To see survey questions, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on April 30-May 1, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

36% Say More Government Hiring Would Be Good for Economy

Most Americans continue to oppose extended government help for the long-term unemployed. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 15% of American Adults believe the government should extend unemployment benefits indefinitely for those who can’t find work for an extended period of time. Twelve percent (12%) think the government should hire those who can’t find work for an extended period. But 31% prefer the short-term solution of paying for their retraining, while another 31% think the government should nothing at all for the long-term unemployed. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on April 30-May 1, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

42% Know Someone Who Has Given Up Looking for a Job

Americans are slightly more optimistic about the job market than they were two months ago.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 69% of American Adults know someone who is out of work and looking for a job. That’s down four points from March and is the lowest finding measured since September. From 2010 through early last year, this figure regularly ran in the mid- to high 70s. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on April 30-May 1, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

13% Think They’ll Be Earning Less Money in a Year

Most Americans still consider themselves middle class, but slightly more now think they’ll be earning less money in a year’s time.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 13% of Employed Adults think they will be earning less money a year from now, up from an all-time low of six percent (6%) in February but more in line with regular surveying since early 2010. Forty-two percent (42%), though, still expect to be earning more, down only slightly from two months ago. Thirty-seven percent (37%) think they’ll be earning about the same amount next year. (To see survey question wording, click here).

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The survey of 580 Employed Adults was conducted on March 31-April 1, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

40% Say Their Current Job Offers Better Advancement Opportunities

One-in-four workers are still not willing to commit to their current job. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 26% of Employed Adults are looking for a job outside of their current company, consistent with surveys for the past three years. A sizable majority (65%) still says it is not looking for a new job elsewhere, down six points from February. (To see survey question wording, click here).

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The survey of 580 Employed Adults was conducted on March 31-April 1, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

45% Oppose Minimum Wage Hike If It Costs Jobs, 39% Still Favor

Overall support for raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour has fallen following a new Congressional Budget Office report that measures the impact of the wage hike on the economy. Support dips even lower when Americans are made aware of the potential for lost jobs.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of American Adults now favor raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. That’s down from 55% in late January and 61% last July. Thirty-nine percent (39%) oppose raising the minimum wage to that level, showing no change from last month. Eleven percent (11%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on February 23-24, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

42% Expect to Earn More A Year From Now

Working Americans remain pretty optimistic about their paychecks.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 42% of working Americans think they will be earning more money a year from today. That's down just one point from December which tied for the highest level of confidence measured since April 2009. Just six percent (6%) predict they will be making less money in a year’s time. Forty-five percent (45%) expect their income to remain about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here).

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The survey of 614 Employed Adults was conducted on February 3-4, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

39% Say Next Job Will Be Better than Current One

One-in-four workers are not willing to commit to their current job.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 24% of Employed Adults are looking for a job outside of their current company, consistent with surveys for the past three years. A sizable majority (71%) still says it’s not looking for a job elsewhere. But that's up from 64% in December, the lowest finding in regular surveying since the spring of 2009. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 614 Employed Adults was conducted on February 3-4, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

46% Believe Long-Term Unemployment Benefits Increase Unemployment

Congress is considering a proposal to extend long-term unemployment benefits, but a sizable number of Americans believes such an extension will just add to the problem.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that a plurality (47%) of American Adults thinks long-term unemployment benefits hurt the economy. Twenty-eight percent (28%) say those benefits help the economy, while 13% believe they have no impact. Just as many (12%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on January 8-9, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

75% Favor Raising Minimum Wage to $10.10 An Hour or More

Most Americans favor raising the minimum wage but are almost evenly divided over whether that will help or hurt the economy.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% of American Adults are in favor of raising the minimum wage from its current level of $7.25. Thirty-three percent (33%) are opposed, while 11% remain undecided. This is comparable to findings in February when President Obama first proposed raising the minimum wage to $9 an hour. (To see survey question wording, click here).

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on December 5-6, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology. 

43% Expect To Earn More A Year From Now

President Obama on Wednesday declared that growing income inequality in the United States is "the defining challenge of our time." The number of workers who consider themselves poor is at its highest point this year, but help may be on the way: The number who expect to be earning more a year from now matches its highest level in four-and-a-half years.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that most Employed Adults (68%) still consider themselves to be middle class, with another 15% who say they are upper middle class. Just three percent (3%) consider themselves wealthy. Fourteen percent (14%) now say they are the working poor, up from 13% in October and the highest finding of the year. This finding was at its highest in May 2010, when 22% of workers classified themselves as poor. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 600 Employed Adults was conducted on December 3-4 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology. 

25% Are Looking for a New Job

Fewer workers than ever are willing to commit to their current job.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 25% of Employed Adults are looking for a job outside of their current company, consistent with surveys for much of this year. A sizable majority (64%) still says it’s not looking for a job elsewhere, but that’s down from 72% in October and the lowest finding in regular surveying since the spring of 2009. Ten percent (10%) are undecided whether to look or not. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a  free daily e-mail update ? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 600 Employed Adults was conducted on December 3-4, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

65% Say Gov't Workers Have More Job Security Than Those in Private Sector

Most Americans continue to believe that government workers are better off than those employed in the private sector.

23% Favor Long-Term Government Help for Unemployed

Most Americans still think the federal government should avoid a long-term role in aiding those who can’t find work. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 23% of American Adults favor long-term government involvement, with 10% who say unemployment benefits should be extended indefinitely and 13% who say the government should just hire those who can't find a job. That's in line with attitudes for the past year. 

Twenty-seven percent (27%) prefer the short-term government solution of paying for retraining, while 37% think the federal government should do nothing at all for the long-term unemployed. That’s down only slightly from 40% in September, the highest finding in three years of regular surveying. Thirteen percent (13%) are unsure. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on November 4-5, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

19% Believe Job Market Better Than A Year Ago, 38% Say Worse

Americans are more pessimistic about the U.S. job market than they have been in nearly two years.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows only 19% of American Adults now believe the job market is better than it was one year ago. That's down six points from 25% in September and the lowest finding since December 2011. Thirty-eight percent (38%) believe the job market is worse today than it was a year ago, up seven points from the previous survey and the most pessimistic assessment since October of last year. Thirty-nine percent (39%) expect the job market to remain about the same.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on November 4-5, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

81% of Adults Trust Their Doctor

Americans overwhelmingly trust their doctor.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 74% of American Adults have a doctor that they see on a regular basis. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 5-6, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

28% Think Doctors Are Paid Too Much

Most Americans recognize the importance of the medical profession, but nearly three-out-of-10 think doctors make too much money.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% of American Adults think being a doctor is one of the most important jobs in the country today. Thirty percent (30%) disagree. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 5-6, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

66% of Workers Consider Themselves Middle Class

Many working Americans expect to earn more money a year from now, and most continue to consider themselves middle class.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% of Working Americans believe their earnings will be higher a year from today, up from 39% in August and the highest level of optimism since the beginning of the year. Thirteen percent (13%) expect to earn less in a year's time, while 39% believe their earnings will be about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 678 Employed Adults was conducted on October 1-2, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

40% Say Working Somewhere Else Offers Better Career Opportunities

American workers are evenly divided over whether their current employer offers them the best chance for advancement, but most are staying put for now. One-in-four Employed Americans (24%) is looking for work outside his or her current company, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Seventy-two percent (72%) are not. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Special offer: A Rasmussen Reader subscription that lasts through December 31, 2014 is now just $24.95. Sign up today!

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The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 1-2, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.