Research: Economic Discontent Continues

Despite the continued improvement in the U.S. economy, there’s still discontent among many Americans about their personal economic situations, according to a new poll from Marketplace and Edison Research. The results of that poll were released today and developed into the first-ever Marketplace-Edison Research Economic Anxiety Index.

Key findings Among the more than 1,000 Americans surveyed:

• More than one in four people are losing sleep over their current financial situation.
• Sixty-three percent said they are sometimes or frequently anxious about their financial situation.
• Forty-two percent said they feel stuck in their current financial situation.
• Nearly two in five of those surveyed who have student loans don’t think those loans were worth it.

Deborah Clark

“The results of this poll show an interesting dynamic,” said Deborah Clark, Marketplace vice president and executive producer. “Data tell us that our economy is growing stronger every month, yet people feel like they’re continuing to struggle. People are losing sleep over worries about advancing their careers, finding work if they lose their jobs, paying the mortgage and making rent.”

How those individual fears play out on the national scene when voters head to the polls next year is yet to be seen, but the Economic Anxiety Index – which will be released periodically throughout the election cycle – is an important metric of which the 2016 presidential candidates should take note.

Larry Rosin

The Economic Anxiety Index, a scale from 0 to 100, was developed from the responses to poll questions about respondents’ own financial situations, their fears about job security, and their concerns about meeting their expenses. The higher the number, the more economic stress someone is feeling. The Economic Anxiety Index mean score across all demographics is 31, though it varies widely among subgroups.

“We at Edison Research are proud to partner with Marketplace on this unique inquiry into the economic and financial state of mind of the American public,” said Larry Rosin, president of Edison Research. “We worked together to find the answers to questions that have not been asked before and the results are enlightening.”