AT A GLANCE
- Nearly half of Americans say they’re not confident they could find a good job if they wanted to.
- Inflation, housing, health care, and grocery costs remain top financial stressors.
- Trump’s economic approval rating sits at 36%, with weakening confidence even among Republicans.
- Electricity costs and tariffs are emerging as new drivers of public anxiety.
Americans Losing Confidence in the Job Market
A new AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll reveals a growing unease among Americans about their ability to find decent work under President Donald Trump. Despite his campaign promises of economic revival, 47% of U.S. adults now say they’re “not very” or “not at all confident” they could find a good job—up from 37% in late 2023.
Persistently high prices for groceries, housing, and health care continue to weigh heavily on households, with many now adding energy costs to their list of financial fears.
Inflation Still Defines Trump’s Economy
Trump’s pledge to “tame inflation” has yet to materialize. Tariffs, federal layoffs, and a prolonged government shutdown have fueled frustration across the political spectrum. Just 36% of adults approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, and while 71% of Republicans say they back his economic leadership, that number is unusually low for an incumbent president.
For comparison, at the same point in 2021, President Joe Biden’s economic approval stood at 41% overall, with 73% support from Democrats.
The slowdown in hiring is stark: under Trump, monthly job gains have fallen to fewer than 27,000—far below the rebound years of Biden’s post-pandemic economy.
Everyday Americans Feel the Strain
“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 tariffs,” said 76-year-old Linda Weavil from Greensboro, North Carolina. “That’s a kick in the back of the American people.”
Even among voters who once saw Trump as a shrewd businessman, confidence is fading as prices continue to rise.
Electricity Costs Are the New Economic Threat
The poll also shows mounting anxiety over energy bills. Roughly 36% of Americans describe their electricity costs as a “major” source of stress—a number likely to climb as new data centers for artificial intelligence drive up power demand.
Kevin Halsey, 58, from Illinois, said his monthly electricity bill jumped from $90 to $300 after solar funding was rolled back. “I’ve got to be pessimistic,” he said. “I don’t see this as getting better.”
Perception vs. Reality
Despite a low unemployment rate and a stable stock market, 68% of adults describe the economy as “poor.” Only 12% say they’re “getting ahead,” while 28% report they’re “falling behind.”
Middle-class security feels increasingly out of reach:
- 47% say they couldn’t handle an unexpected medical bill.
- 52% doubt they’ll have enough saved for retirement.
- 63% aren’t confident they could buy a new home.
Among young adults, that pessimism is nearly universal—8 in 10 under 30 say they don’t believe homeownership is within reach.
The Everyday Math Doesn’t Add Up
Unique Hopkins, 36, from Youngstown, Ohio, said she’s now working two jobs after her teenage daughter had a baby. “I can barely tread water,” she said. Once a Trump voter, she’s since switched sides. “It’s his way or no way.”
Her frustration echoes the sentiment of millions of Americans who feel squeezed between high prices and shrinking opportunity—a troubling sign for Trump’s reelection narrative that the economy is “booming.”
