Economy, jobs continue to rank as most important problems
February 9, 2012
Though Americans remain largely dissatisfied with the way things are going in the U.S., the 22% who are satisfied is up from 15% in December and is the highest since last spring.
Life evaluation up along with economic confidence, standard of living
February 9, 2012
Americans rated their lives better in January than in any month since March of last year. Americans' life ratings have been steadily recovering since October, when they fell to their lowest level in more than two years.
Economy rating is still low vs. other issues, but is most improved since November
February 9, 2012
President Obama's 38% approval rating on the economy is far from robust, but has perked up from 30% in November and 26% last summer. Despite these gains, Obama continues to rate worse on economic issues than on foreign policy issues.
North Dakota workers were most likely to report their employers were hiring workers rather than letting workers go in 2011. All states showed positive scores on Gallup's Job Creation Index, with Rhode Island's +4 the lowest.
Seven in 10 owners say they would hire temporary, contract, or part-time workers
February 7, 2012
More U.S. small-business owners intend to increase (22%) than decrease (8%) the number of jobs at their company in the next year, the biggest margin in four years, according to the new Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index survey.
Americans' optimism about future direction of economy pushes index higher
February 7, 2012
Americans' confidence in the economy improved for the fifth month in a row in January, with Gallup's Economic Confidence Index reaching -27, its highest point since May of last year. Confidence is improving across all income groups.
For disengaged workers, long commutes linked to higher stress levels
February 7, 2012
Long commute times are linked to more stress and worry for American workers who are unhappy in their jobs. For those who are engaged at work, this is not the case.
A review of key indicators that could help determine the outcome
February 6, 2012
Gallup editors review the key indicators that are likely to determine the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, putting the current data into historical context.
Residents of the District of Columbia and North Dakota expressed the most confidence in the U.S. economy last year, while those in West Virginia and Maine expressed the least. Economic confidence declined in all states last year.
