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

"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,""

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.

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