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Most Recent Releases

January 19, 2018

Workers See Wage Increases in Near Future

American workers are more confident than ever that they will get a salary boost in the near future, and most continue to believe the best opportunity for career advancement is to stay put.

January 9, 2018

One-in-Four Have Bought Groceries Online

Amazon’s 2017 deal with Whole Foods positioned the digital giant to grow their subscription pantry delivery service, but while online shopping may be all the rage, it seems to be catching on more slowly for food shopping. No matter whether they’re making their food purchases online or in a retail store though, Americans are much less likely to say they’re paying more for groceries now.

January 5, 2018

Consumer Spending Update: Economic Confidence Continues Upward Climb As Spending Slows

2018 has kicked off with economic confidence abound, but despite the positive financial outlook, Americans are slowing down on spending following a busy holiday shopping season.

December 20, 2017

Americans Don't Give Infrastructure High Marks, But Don't Want to Pay to Fix It

President Trump said the Amtrak crash in Washington state yesterday illustrates his argument for a massive overhaul of U.S. infrastructure, a plan he intends to submit soon.

December 14, 2017

Sex and Race Matter in Middle Class Identity

The majority of American adults continues to identify as middle class, but sex and race are among the factors that shape that identity and what it means.  

December 8, 2017

Consumer Spending Update: Economic Confidence Continues to Soar

Today’s newly released jobs report, although unchanged from last month, finds the unemployment rate remaining at its lowest level in more than 17 years.

December 5, 2017

Half Anticipate Tax Cuts By Year’s End

The Senate passed the GOP’s tax reform bill in a middle-of-the-night vote over the weekend. Half of voters think it’s likely that Congress will go through with the tax cuts before the end of the year, but they’re torn on whether they will end up cutting taxes too much or not enough.

December 1, 2017

Americans Less Likely To Say Credit Cards Tempt Spending

The holiday shopping season is now in high gear, but fewer Americans are concerned that having credit cards tempt people to spend more than they can afford. That doesn’t mean they don’t see the need to cut back on spending though.

November 29, 2017

Is Cash Making a Comeback?

Are Americans returning to the ways of good old hard cash? Plastic is still the choice for their main spending, but they’re less likely to go cash-free for a week than in past years.

November 22, 2017

Americans Are Starting Their Holiday Shopping Early This Year

Americans are jumping the gun on holiday shopping this year, with nearly half who say they’ve already started even before Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals hit.

November 13, 2017

Confidence in Jobs Market Hits New High

The government jobs report for October showed the hurricane-hit U.S. economy rebounding strongly, with the unemployment rate down now to 4.1%, the lowest level since 2000. No wonder that confidence in the job market has risen to a new high.

November 10, 2017

Consumer Spending Update: Positive Economic Outlook Means Consumers Are Ready to Spend

The stock market continues to soar to its highest levels to date...

October 31, 2017

Americans Say No to Gas Tax

The Trump administration is considering raising the gas tax for the first time in 24 years to help pay for a one trillion dollar infrastructure plan, but Americans unsurprisingly are not on board.

October 25, 2017

41% Have Been A Victim of A Major Data Breach

Data breaches at major companies like the recent one at credit reporting firm Equifax are happening more frequently, and a sizable number of Americans admit to being a victim of a cyber attack.

October 13, 2017

67% of Americans Oppose Tax Breaks for NFL Teams

President Trump has repeatedly called out National Football League team owners in the partially tax-subsidized league for allowing player protests during the national anthem.

October 11, 2017

Optimism About Future Home Values At Record High

For the first time in eight years of tracking, more than half of homeowners see a rising home value in their future.

October 6, 2017

Consumer Spending Update: Economic Confidence Remains High

The overall Rasmussen Reports Economic Index for October rose two points to 129.2. Enthusiasm about the economy started to grow immediately following the 2016 presidential election and continues to show the highest level of confidence since this tracking began in 2014.

September 15, 2017

Americans Aren’t Pulling for an Internet Sales Tax

Congress is currently debating whether online retailers like Amazon should charge sales tax on purchases, even if the seller and buyer aren’t in the same state. A majority of Americans do at least some shopping online, and they are not fans of taxing those purchases.

September 14, 2017

Americans Don't Support Bailouts for Cities Like Hartford

Hartford, the state capital of Connecticut, is close to declaring bankruptcy, saying it won't be able to pay all its bills within 60 days. But just as they did when Detroit was nearing bankruptcy in 2013, Americans don’t want the government getting involved.

September 13, 2017

Americans Say Sales Tax Fairest of Taxes

Even as the fight over charging sales tax for online retailers ensues in Congress, Americans still think sales tax is the most fair type of tax they pay. But they’re nearly as likely to see income tax as both the most (and least) fair type of tax today.