Job market top concern to Americans: Allstate poll
SUN-TIMES STAFF December 10, 2012 7:06PM
Americans are growing more optimistic but job creation is their top concern, according to The Allstate Corp./National Journal Heartland Monitor poll.
The quarterly poll of 1,000 adults surveyed between Nov. 25 and Dec. 1 found the top concerns were:
♦ Jobs and unemployment, 30 percent.
♦ Government spending, 19 percent.
♦ The federal deficit, 15 percent.
♦ Wages not keeping up with prices, 11 pecent.
♦ Only 9 percent chose the coming “fiscal cliff” as the most pressing concern, and only 6 percent cited taxes. Nearly half (49 percent) rank the housing market as among the least concern.
♦ 41 percent believe the country is heading in the right direction, the greatest share to say so since the quarterly poll began in April 2009; 50 percent believe it is heading in the wrong direction.
♦ 72 percent disapprove of the job Congress is doing, while only 21 percent approve.
