While most Americans believe the economy is faltering, almost three quarters surveyed in a recent Gallup poll think it is a good time to find a quality job.
The poll, conducted from Oct. 1-19 with a random sample of 823 adults in all 50 states found 74% think it is a good time to find a quality job, while about the same percentage are dissatisfied with the way things in the country are going.
The new record number of those believing it is a good time to find better employment opportunities has remained constant since August when a prior record-setting 72% said the same thing, according to Gallup.
The new numbers are much higher than previous polling where those optimistic about seeking better work fell from 68% in January 2020 to just 22% in April of that year as the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns forced massive layoffs.
Comparatively, the numbers even during the pandemic never reached the lows of 8% and 10% during and after the Great Recession in 2009-2011.
Even as people are wary of the faltering economy with supply chain and labor shortage issues, as well as the ripples caused by the pandemic, leading to a sharp rise in inflation, the U.S. Department of Labor reported 11.5 million workers quit their jobs from April to June, Inc. reported in August.
The Inc. reported 74% of workers responding to a LinkedIn survey said they were "re-thinking" their employment picture after being at home or working remotely during the pandemic.
Others in the survey expressed dissatisfaction, burnout, and fear of job loss after pandemic-related business shutdowns and slowdowns.
But even as the unemployment rate has fallen from double digits during the height of the pandemic to around 4.8% now, a 13-year record-high inflation rate is causing more and more Americans to place the economy and governmental policies at the top of their concerns.
Although economic confidence rose from the -33 rating in April 2020 to a -1 in November 2020, and a +2 in April, it has steadily dropped again during the summer to -25 in October, with 68% of those polled saying the economy is getting worse, according to the Gallup poll.
The top reasons Americans blame for the eroding confidence in the economy are poor government leadership (21%) and COVID-19 (15%).
According to Gallup, the number of Americans citing any economic issue as the most important facing the country has not been this high since April 2017.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 7 percentage points.
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