People wait in line to the City University of New York (CUNY) Big Apple job fair in New York, April 23, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Shannon StapletonNEW YORK | Fri 29 april 2011 11: 57 am EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters life!)-half of Americans are hopeful about their future despite a bleak Outlook for the economy, according to a new survey.
The poll of about 2,000 adults have shown that while only 16 percent of Americans consider themselves well off, or upper middle class now, 50 percent think they will be in five to ten years.
But two-thirds of the respondents said they just keep even now and they think the economy is still not yet bottomed out.
"Despite a slow economic recovery ... Americans are clearly optimistic that the future brighter for themselves and their families will be, "said Michelle Peluso, global consumer marketing and Internet officer for Citibank, which commissioned the poll.
"If people do their best to keep even, they continue to hope and expect that, in the longer term, will improve the economy and further," Peluso added in a statement.
Respondents to the survey, conducted by Hart Research Associates, played to or local business conditions would improve, with 51 percent believing they would, that 12 percent less than in January.
More than 60% thought their own financial situation would get better in the coming year, from seven percent of the number who felt that way three months ago.
Big ticket manufacturers will be discouraged to learn that only 30% felt now a good time for a large household purchase, a fall of six percent since January.
Gasoline, food and health care costs had the biggest impact on the cost of living, while State or local tax increases were the most-quoted (75 percent) for their possible negative consequences.
But 66 percent said cuts in State and local spending on police and fire would have a negative effect and a similar number felt the same about cuts in expenditure on education, roads, bridges and public transport.
The survey also showed a gender gap, with women dropping dramatically optimism since January. Almost half of the women themselves classified as working class or poor, compared with 38% of men.
But mothers outscored fathers by about two-to-one that was better better with family or getting a bargain.
No comments:
Post a Comment