WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans are increasingly concerned about their ability to find good jobs amid President Donald TrumpA poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Reports found that this is a potential warning sign for Republicans because the promised economic boom gave way hiring is frozen And increased inflation.
High prices for productsHousing and healthcare continue to be a concern for many households, while rising energy bills and gas costs at the pump are also sources of concern, according to the survey.
About 47% of U.S. adults are “not very” or “not at all confident” they could find a good job if they wanted it, up from 37% when the question was last asked in October 2023.
Energy bills are a “major” source of stress for 36% of US adults at a time when expected construction of artificial intelligence data centers could further tax the grid. Just over half said the cost of groceries is a “major” source of financial stress, about 4 in 10 said the cost of housing and health care is a major burden, and about a third said they feel very stressed about gas prices.
The poll shows continued vulnerability for Trump, who returned to the White House in January with claims he can quickly rein in inflation, which has soared since the pandemic under Democratic President Joe Biden. Instead, Trump's popularity on the economy remains low amid combination of tariffslayoffs of federal workers and guerrilla snipers, culminating in government shutdown.
Linda Weavil, 76, voted for Trump last year because he “seems to be a smart businessman.” But in an interview, she said Republican tariffs have worsened inflation, citing chocolate-covered pecans sold as a fundraiser by her church group that are now worth more.
“I think it does a great job, but I'm afraid our coffee and chocolate prices have gone up because of the tariffs,” said the Greensboro, N.C., retiree. “This is a stab in the back of the American people.”
Voters have changed presidents, but they don't feel any better about Trump's economy.
The poll found that 36% of US adults approve of Trump's handling of the economy. holding steady this year after he imposed tariffs that caused widespread economic uncertainty. Among Republicans, 71% rate his economic leadership favorably. However, that approval within Trump's own party is relatively low and could become problematic for Republicans in next month's gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia and perhaps even in the 2026 midterm elections.
Around the same point in Biden's presidency, in October 2021, an AP-NORC poll found that 41% of U.S. adults approved of the way he was handling the economy, including about 73% of Democrats. That total was slightly higher than Trump's, driven primarily by independents—29% approved of Biden's handling of the economy, compared with 18% who currently support Trump's approach.
The labor market was significantly stronger in terms of hiring during the Biden presidency as the United States recovered from pandemic-related restrictions. But hiring has slowed sharply under Trump, with monthly job gains averaging less than 27,000 since the April tariff announcements.
People see this difference.
Four years ago, 36% of those surveyed were “extremely” or “very” confident in their ability to get a good job, but that figure has now fallen to 21%.
Biden's approval of the economy deteriorated steadily until mid-2022, when inflation hit a four-decade high, opening the door for Trump's political comeback.
Energy costs raise new concerns
In some ways, Trump has made the inflation problem worse by deciding to eliminate funding for renewable energy projects and by imposing tariffs on equipment needed for factories and power plants. These additional costs come ahead of the expected construction of AI data centers, which could raise prices even further without further construction.
Although 36% believe that electricity is a serious problem, there are also those who have not yet experienced serious financial difficulties. In the survey, 40% said energy costs were a “minor” stress, while 23% said their utility bills were “not a source” of stress.
Kevin Halsey, 58, of Normal, Ill., said his monthly electric bills were $90 in the summer because he had solar panels, but they have since jumped to $300. Halsey, who works in telecommunications, voted Democratic in last year's presidential election and called the current economy “crap.”
“I have to be a pessimist,” he said. “I don’t think the situation is getting any better.”
At a fundamental level, Trump faces the same economic dilemma that baffled Biden. There are signs that the economy remains relatively stable with low unemployment, a rising stock market and decent economic growth, but the public remains skeptical about the state of the economy.
About 68% of U.S. adults describe the current U.S. economy as “bad,” while 32% say it is “good.” This is largely in line with estimates of the economy over the past year.
Additionally, 59% of respondents say their household finances are “stable.” But only 12% say they are “getting ahead” and 28% say they are “lagging behind.”
People see a lot of expenses, but few opportunities
Feelings of economic instability are coming from many directions, and there are signs that many feel middle-class stability is slipping out of reach.
The vast majority of American adults experience at least “a little” stress about the cost of food, healthcare, housing, the amount they pay in taxes, what they get paid at work, and the cost of gas for their cars.
In the survey, 47% said they were “not very” or “not at all confident” they would be able to pay for unexpected medical expenses, while 52% had low confidence that they would have enough savings for retirement. In addition, 63% are “not very” or “not at all confident” that they would be able to buy a new home if they wanted to.
Young people are much less confident in their ability to buy a home, although confidence is not particularly high across the board. About 8 in 10 U.S. adults under age 30 say they are “not very confident” or “not at all confident” they can buy a home, compared with about 6 in 10 adults age 60 and older.
For 54% of American adults, the cost of groceries is the “top source” of stress in their lives right now.
Unique Hopkins, 36, of Youngstown, Ohio, said she now works two jobs after her teenage daughter gave birth, leaving Hopkins feeling like she can barely stand still as part of the “working poor.” She voted for Trump in 2016 but switched to the Democrats after she felt his ego was getting in the way of unifying the country and solving problems.
“It’s his way or not,” she said. “Nobody is going to team up with Trump if it’s all about you, you, you.”
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The AP-NORC poll of 1,289 adults was conducted Oct. 9-13 using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The sampling margin of error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
Josh Boak and Lynley Sanders, Associated Press
