WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans are increasingly worried about their ability to find a good job under President Donald Trump, an Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll finds. This is a potential warning sign for Republicans as the promised economic boom has given way to a hiring freeze and increased inflation.
High prices for food, housing and healthcare remain concerns for many households, while rising electricity bills and the cost of gas at the pump are also concerns, according to the survey.
About 47% of U.S. adults are “not very” or “not at all confident” that they could get a good job if they wanted, up 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 expansion of artificial intelligence data centers could further strain the power grid. Just over half said the cost of groceries was a “major” source of financial stress, about 4 in 10 said housing and health care costs were a grave burden, and about a third said they felt a lot of stress about gas prices.
The survey suggests continued vulnerability for Trump, who returned to the White House in January claiming he could quickly curb inflation that rose in the wake of the pandemic during Democratic President Joe Biden’s term. Instead, Trump’s popularity on the economy remained low amid a mix of tariffs, layoffs of federal workers and partisan sniping that culminated in a government shutdown.
Linda Weavil, 76, voted for Trump last year because he “seemed like a smart businessman.” But she said in an interview that Republican tariffs had worsened inflation, pointing to the chocolate-covered pecans sold for her church group’s 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 the tariffs,” said the Greensboro, North Carolina, retiree. “This is a kick 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 U.S. adults approve of the way Trump is handling the economy. That number has remained stable this year after he imposed tariffs that led to broader economic uncertainty. Among Republicans, 71% view his economic leadership favorably. However, approval within Trump’s own party is relatively low, which could be 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 time in Biden’s term, in October 2021, an AP-NORC poll found that 41% of U.S. adults approved of his handling of the economy, including about 73% of Democrats. That total was slightly higher than Trump’s, largely due to independents: 29% approved of the way Biden is handling the economy, compared to the 18% who currently support Trump’s approach.
The labor market saw significant hiring gains during Biden’s presidency as the United States recovered from pandemic-related lockdowns. But under Trump, hiring has slowed sharply, with monthly job gains averaging less than 27,000 after the tariff announcements in April.
People see that difference.
Four years ago, 36% of respondents were “extremely” or “very” confident about finding a good job, but today that figure is down to 21%.
Biden’s approval of the economy steadily deteriorated until mid-2022 as inflation hit a four-decade high, paving the way for Trump’s political comeback.
Electricity costs are an emerging problem
In some ways, Trump has exacerbated inflation problems by choosing to cut funding for renewable energy projects and impose tariffs on equipment needed for factories and power plants. These additional costs come before the expected construction of AI data centers, which could drive prices further higher without further construction.
Although 36% of respondents see electricity as a major problem, there are some who are not yet experiencing grave financial constraints. In the survey, 40% identified electricity costs as a “minor” stress, while 23% said their electricity bills were “not a source” of stress.
Kevin Halsey, 58, of Normal, Illinois, said his monthly electric bills were $90 in the summer because he had solar panels, but have since increased 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 pessimistic,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to get any better.”
At a fundamental level, Trump finds himself in the same economic dilemma that plagued Biden. There are signs that the economy remains relatively solid with low unemployment, stock market gains and decent economic growth, but the public remains skeptical about the health of the economy.
About 68% of U.S. adults today describe the U.S. economy as “bad,” while 32% say it is “good.” This largely corresponds to the economic assessments last year.
Additionally, 59% say their family’s finances are “stable.” But only 12% say they are “advancing” and 28% say they are “falling behind.”
People see lots of expenses but few options
The feeling of economic uncertainty is coming from many different directions, and there are signs that many believe that middle class stability is slipping out of reach.
The enormous majority of U.S. adults feel at least “mildly” stressed about the cost of food, health care, housing, the size of their taxes, their wages and the cost of gas for their cars.
In the survey, 47% said they were “not very” or “not at all” confident about their ability to pay unexpected medical costs, while 52% said they were “not very confident” that they had enough saved for retirement. Additionally, 63% are “not very” or “not at all” confident that they could buy a recent home if they wanted to.
Young adults are significantly less confident about their ability to buy a home, although overall confidence is not particularly high. About 8 in 10 U.S. adults under 30 say they are “not very confident” or “not at all confident” about buying a home, compared with about 6 in 10 adults 60 and older.
For 54% of U.S. adults, food costs are currently a “leading cause” of stress in their lives.
Unique Hopkins, 36, of Youngstown, Ohio, said she now works two jobs after her teenage daughter had a baby, making Hopkins feel like she can barely tread water as part of the “working poor.” She voted for Trump in 2016 but switched to the Democrats after she felt his ego was keeping him from uniting the country and solving problems.
“It’s his way or not,” she said. “No one will join 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. A sample was used from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is intended to be representative of the US population. The overall sampling error rate for adults is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
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This story has been corrected to clarify that the name of the NORC center is the NORC Center for Public Research, not Public Affairs.
