New Zogby Poll on Jobless Rate/Job Worries

Americans continue to worry about their own job security and the health of the national economy, despite today's announcement that unemployment has dipped to 4.7%, the lowest it has been since June 2001, a new Zogby Interactive survey finds.

Even as the unemployment rate and new jobless claims hit a five-year low, some in the survey indicated they still think their employment is tenuous - 24% said they feared losing their job in the months ahead. The survey also found a 54% majority expressing strong concerns about the economy based on their own experiences or those of acquaintances. Just one in three Americans (35%) said they were convinced the economy is in strong shape.

Americans were decidedly pessimistic about the long-term health of the U.S. economy. While just three in ten (30%) say the economy will continue to improve as it develops into a post-manufacturing economy, more than three in five (63%) believe the economy may be in for long-term trouble as international competition and energy prices both increase.

	Overall	GOP	DEM	IND
I am convinced that the American economy is in strong shape.	35%	74%	3%	24%
I am wary about the economy because while I have a good job and am financially secure, I know neighbors, friends and family who are not doing so well.	39%	15%	61%	44%
Nationally, the economy may be doing well, but I am not doing well and I am concerned the immediate future does not look good.	15%	5%	23%	19%

The survey finds a distinct partisan component to the economic outlook. Republicans are overwhelmingly confident about the strength of the U.S. economy, with three-quarters (74%) saying they are convinced it is in strong shape. Democrats take a starkly different view, with just 3% saying the economy is strong and 61% saying they are wary because, despite their own solid financial situation, they know others who are experiencing difficulties. An additional 23% of Democrats indicated they were not doing well in the economy. Political independents, meanwhile, tend to have a more pessimistic than optimistic outlook, with 44% saying the experiences of their acquaintances causes them to be wary about the economy -- although, with one in four (24%) saying the economy is in strong shape, their view is decidedly more favorable than the Democratic outlook.

Personal Economic Situation Upbeat

While many have an unfavorable outlook on the economy, based in many instances on their assessment of their own economic condition, the actual circumstances of Americans' personal financial situations may be brighter than the perception.

More than eight in ten (82%) Americans say the are either making progress toward long-term financial goals or keeping up with monthly expenses, while just 3% saying they are hopelessly behind on bills and have no chance of catching up. Another 13% express concerns that they are slowly falling behind on some bills.

As with other questions, a partisan component exists in this one as well. While 56% of Republicans say they are making progress toward financial goals, Democrats are less upbeat, with half (48%) saying they are keeping up with monthly expenses and 4% saying they are hopelessly behind (versus 1% of Republicans and 3% of independents). However, solid majorities of all three groups say they are, at a minimum, keeping up with all monthly expenses.

In the short-term, respondents' personal economic outlook is rosy. Three in five (59%) say they are optimistic that they will improve their personal financial situation over the next month, while one-third (35%) are pessimistic about their short-term financial status. Among the most optimistic are married respondents, with two-thirds (64%) expressing confidence in their own financial direction.

The interactive survey of 13,456 likely voters nationwide was conducted Jan. 27 through 30. It has a margin of error of +/- 0.9 percentage points.