Economic unease is deepening across the United States as inflationary pressures and job market uncertainty weigh heavily on households under President Donald Trump\u2019s administration.<\/p>\n
A new Associated Press\u2013NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll indicates that Americans are increasingly anxious about their financial stability and prospects in a slowing economy.<\/p>\n
The survey found that nearly half of US adults\u201447%\u2014say they are \u201cnot very\u201d or \u201cnot at all confident\u201d they could find a good job if they wanted to, up sharply from 37% recorded in October 2023. The finding signals a growing erosion of optimism in a labour market once touted as the backbone of Trump\u2019s economic revival pledge.<\/p>\n
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High prices for everyday essentials continue to dominate public concern. The poll shows that more than half of Americans view grocery costs as a \u201cmajor\u201d source of financial stress. Roughly four in ten cite housing and health care expenses as severe strains, while about one-third report significant anxiety over gasoline prices.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, rising electricity bills are emerging as a new pressure point\u201436% of respondents said energy costs were a \u201cmajor\u201d source of stress. Analysts warn that the expansion of artificial intelligence data centres could further strain the power grid, potentially driving bills even higher.<\/p>\n
The findings come as a potential warning sign for Republicans, who face increasing scrutiny over the economy\u2019s trajectory. Trump, who returned to the White House in January, had promised to swiftly curb inflation and restore economic confidence after pandemic-era disruptions and what he called \u201cBiden\u2019s mismanagement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Instead, prices for essentials remain stubbornly high, and his economic approval ratings have stayed low amid tariffs, federal worker layoffs, and a protracted government shutdown that has slowed key sectors.<\/p>\n
Economists note that while overall inflation has cooled from its peak, wage growth has stagnated and job creation has faltered, amplifying the perception that the economic recovery is uneven. \u201cThe gap between macroeconomic indicators and household sentiment remains wide,\u201d one analyst told Reuters, adding that many Americans \u201cfeel worse off even if headline numbers show improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n
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With household budgets stretched and confidence waning, the poll underscores a broader vulnerability for the administration heading into an election year. Trump\u2019s challenge now lies in restoring faith not only in his economic agenda but in the promise that his policies can deliver real relief to working families struggling under persistent inflation and fading job security.<\/p>\n
Linda Weavil, 76, voted for Trump last year because he \u201cseems like a smart businessman.\u201d But she said in an interview that the Republican\u2019s tariffs have worsened inflation, citing the chocolate-covered pecans sold for her church group fundraiser that now cost more.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he\u2019s doing a great job on a lot of things, but I\u2019m afraid our coffee and chocolate prices have gone up because of tariffs,\u201d the retiree from Greensboro, North Carolina, said. \u201cThat\u2019s a kick in the back of the American people.\u201d<\/p>\n
The poll found that 36% of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling the economy, a figure that has held steady this year after he imposed tariffs that caused broad economic uncertainty. Among Republicans, 71% feel positive about his economic leadership. Yet that approval within Trump\u2019s own party is relatively low in ways that could be problematic for Republicans in next month\u2019s races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, and perhaps even in the 2026 midterm elections.<\/p>\n
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At roughly the same point in Biden\u2019s term, in October 2021, an AP-NORC poll found that 41% of U.S. adults approved of how he was handling the economy, including about 73% of Democrats. That overall number was a little higher than Trump\u2019s, primarily because of independents \u2014 29% approved of how Biden was handling the economy, compared with the 18% who currently support Trump\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n
The job market was meaningfully stronger in terms of hiring during Biden\u2019s presidency as the United States was recovering from pandemic-related lockdowns. But hiring has slowed sharply under Trump with monthly job gains averaging less than 27,000 after the April tariff announcements.<\/p>\n
People see that difference.<\/p>\n
Four years ago, 36% of those in the survey were \u201cextremely\u201d or \u201cvery\u201d confident in their ability to get a good job, but that has fallen to 21% now.<\/p>\n
Biden\u2019s approval on the economy steadily deteriorated through the middle of 2022 when inflation hit a four-decade high, creating an opening for Trump\u2019s political comeback.<\/p>\n
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In some ways, Trump has made the inflation problems harder by choosing to cancel funding for renewable energy projects and imposing tariffs on the equipment needed for factories and power plants. Those added costs are coming before the anticipated construction of data centers for AI that could further push up prices without more construction.<\/p>\n
Even though 36% see electricity as a major concern, there are some who have yet to feel a serious financial squeeze. In the survey, 40% identified electricity costs as a \u201cminor\u201d stress, while 23% said their utility bills are \u201cnot a source\u201d of stress.<\/p>\n
Kevin Halsey, 58, of Normal, Illinois, said his monthly electricity bills used to be $90 during the summer because he had solar panels, but have since jumped to $300. Halsey, who works in telecommunications, voted Democratic in last year\u2019s presidential election and described the economy right now as \u201ccrap.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201dI\u2019ve got to be pessimistic,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t see this as getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n
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At a fundamental level, Trump finds himself in the same economic dilemma that bedeviled Biden. There are signs the economy remains relatively solid with a low unemployment rate, stock market gains and decent economic growth, yet the public continues to be skeptical about the economy\u2019s health.<\/p>\n
Some 68% of U.S. adults describe the U.S. economy these days as \u201cpoor,\u201d while 32% say it\u2019s \u201cgood.\u201d That\u2019s largely consistent with assessments of the economy over the past year.<\/p>\n
In addition, 59%, say their family finances are \u201cholding steady.\u201d But only 12% say they\u2019re \u201cgetting ahead,\u201d and 28% say they are \u201cfalling behind.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sense of economic precarity is coming from many different directions, with indications that many think middle-class stability is falling out of reach.<\/p>\n
The vast majority of U.S. adults feel at least \u201cminor\u201d stress about the cost of groceries, health care, housing, the amount they pay in taxes, what they are paid at work and the cost of gas for their cars.<\/p>\n
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In the survey, 47%, say they are \u201cnot very\u201d or \u201cnot at all\u201d confident they could pay an unexpected medical expense while 52% have low confidence they will have enough saved for their retirement. Also, 63%, are \u201cnot very\u201d or \u201cnot at all\u201d confident they could buy a new home if they wanted to.<\/p>\n
Young adults are much less confident about their ability to buy a house, though confidence is not especially high across the board. About 8 in 10 U.S. adults under age 30 say they are \u201cnot very confident\u201d or \u201cnot at all confident\u201d they would be able to buy a house, compared with about 6 in 10 adults 60 and older.<\/p>\n
For 54% of U.S. adults, the cost of groceries is a \u201cmajor source\u201d of stress in their life right now.<\/p>\n
Unique Hopkins, 36, of Youngstown, Ohio, said she is now working two jobs after her teenage daughter had a baby, leaving Hopkins with a sense that she can barely tread water as part of the \u201cworking poor.\u201d She voted for Trump in 2016, only to switch to Democrats after she felt his ego kept him from uniting the country and solving problems.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s his way or no way,\u201d she said. \u201cNobody is going to unite with Trump if it\u2019s all about you, you, you.\u201d<\/p>\n
With inputs from agencies<\/p>\n