The FINANCIAL -- Most Americans continue to believe today’s children will not be better
off than their parents, but they are a bit more optimistic about the
possibility of someone working their way out of poverty.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 18% of American Adults believe today’s children will be better off than their parents. That’s down six points from the previous survey in June and is just a point higher than the lowest level measured to date. Sixty-seven percent (67%) don’t believe that today’s youth will be better off than their parents, while 15% are not sure.
Thirty-two percent (32%) think it’s still possible for anyone in the United States to work hard and get rich. A majority (55%) disagrees with that assessment, and another 13% are undecided. These findings have shown little change since January 2009.
Just under half (49%) say it’s possible for anyone in the United States to work their way out of poverty, the highest level measured since May of last year. Thirty-five percent (35%) don’t believe this to be true. Sixteen percent (16%) are not sure.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on September 1-2, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
Americans remain divided on the possibility of someone finding work. Forty percent (40%) think it’s possible for anyone who wants to work to find a job, while 46% disagree. Fourteen percent (14%) are not sure. Adults have been closely divided on this question since March 2009.
Adults under the age of 30 are more confident in the future of today’s children than their elders. Younger adults are also more optimistic in the possibility of anyone finding a job.
Twenty percent (20%) of Americans with children at home say today’s youth will be better off than their parents, a view shared by 15% of those without children at home.
Fifty-five percent (55%) of men say it’s possible for anyone in the United State to work their way out of poverty, while 43% of women say the same.
Americans are more pessimistic than ever that the U.S. economy will improve during the next year.
Consumer confidence fell in August for the third straight month, as the Discover U.S. Spending Monitor(SM) dropped to its lowest level since March 2009.
The Rasmussen Employment Index, which measures workers’ perceptions of the labor market each month, slipped a point in August to the lowest level measured in one year.
A majority of voters nationwide like the idea of state governments offering jobs instead of welfare payments to those seeking work.
www.rasmussenreports.com
Related Stories
