So much for a Merry Christmas. If conversations with co-workers, friends and family were not confirmation enough, a new poll found that Americans think the situation in the country sucks right now.
According to a survey released Thursday by the Pew Research Center, 72 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with national conditions. The numbers are even worse when respondents were asked about the economic situation specifically, with 89 percent of those surveyed saying the country’s economic condition is either just fair or poor.
As for thinking positively, about 55 percent of Americans see conditions improving as 2011 rolls around, down from 67 percent in January. Thirty-one percent think conditions will worsen.
The job market is certainly having an effect on the public mood, with 79 percent saying jobs are hard to come by within their community. Forty-six percent of people say either they or someone in their household has been without a job in the last year.
While 50 percent of Americans think the country is losing ground in areas such as the budget deficit, the cost of living, the financial condition of Social Security and the availability of good-paying jobs, there is a modest silver lining. Only 25 percent of those surveyed think the country is losing ground in the fight against terrorism and just 23 percent say the same about environmental pollution.
Tis the season.