Nearly half of U.S. adults aren't confident they could find a good job, while electricity and grocery costs are major sources of stress, poll says | Fortune

Poll results show growing concern about job prospects under President Donald Trump, with 47% of U.S. adults not very or not at all confident they could find a good job, up from 37% in October 2023. High prices for groceries, housing, health care, electricity and gasoline are major sources of financial stress. Electricity bills worry 36% of adults; just over half cite groceries as a major stress, about four in ten cite housing and health care, and about one-third cite gasoline. Expected AI data center build-out could further tax the power grid. Tariffs, federal layoffs and a government shutdown coincide with low economic approval.

"Americans are growing increasingly concerned about their ability to find a good job under President Donald Trump, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs poll finds, in what is a potential warning sign for Republicans as a promised economic boom has given way to hiring freezes and elevated inflation. High prices for groceries, housing and health care persist as a fear for many households, while rising electricity bills and the cost of gas at the pump are also sources of anxiety, according to the survey."

"Some 47% of U.S. adults are "not very" or "not at all confident" they could find a good job if they wanted to, an increase from 37% when the question was last asked in October 2023. Electricity bills are a "major" source of stress for 36% of U.S. adults at a time when the expected build-out of data centers for artificial intelligence could further tax the power grid. Just more than one-half said the cost of groceries are a "major" source of financial stress, about 4 in 10 said the cost of housing and health care were a serious strain and about one-third said they were feeling high stress about gasoline prices."

"Linda Weavil, 76, voted for Trump last year because he "seems like a smart businessman." But she said in an interview that the Republican's tariffs have worsened inflation, citing the chocolate-covered pecans sold for her church group fundraiser that now cost more. "I think he's doing a great job on a lot of things, but I'm afraid our coffee and chocolate prices have gone up because of tariffs,""

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