Job Market Confidence Decline : 47% of American adults are not confident in finding an excellent job. Millions dread slipping behind despite working.
Job Market Confidence Decline
Job Market Confidence Decline : According to a new AP-NORC poll (October 2025), nearly half of Americans are concerned about their ability to obtain a solid job, indicating increased financial stress and economic anxiety. The survey shows a growing disparity between economic indicators, such as low unemployment and stock market gains, and public confidence in personal and national financial security in the early months of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Job Market Confidence Declines.
According to the poll, 47 percent of adults in the United States are not very or at all confident in their ability to find a suitable job if they needed one. This marks a huge improvement from 37% in October 2023. Only 21% of respondents are very or very confident in their career prospects, a drop from 36% four years earlier. According to analysts, this reduction may be due to fears about stagnant salaries, automation, and persistent economic instability.
The public’s assessment of the economy remains dismal.
Despite historically low unemployment and stock market gains, public opinion of the national economy remains largely unfavorable. 68 percent of Americans say the economy is bad, while only 32 percent think it’s doing well.
Many Americans blame increased living costs and policy uncertainty for their pessimism, implying that headline economic metrics do not accurately reflect household experiences.
Employees feel squeezed by growing costs.
Many Americans claim that daily living demands are harming their employment and financial security. Rising grocery prices are reported as a key source of stress by 54% of respondents, while electricity and utility bills are cited by 36%, which is due in part to growing energy consumption from AI data centers. Around 40% are concerned about housing and healthcare expenditures, with gasoline prices affecting roughly one-third.
These demands cause uneasiness in the job. Despite working, 28 percent believe they are falling behind financially, while only 12 percent believe they are making progress. Concerns about retirement funds concern 52 percent, while 63 percent believe purchasing a home now would be tough. Employees frequently report feeling pressured to work longer hours or take on numerous jobs to cover rising costs.
Slower job growth raises concerns.
The drop in optimism corresponds to slower employment generation. Since additional tariffs were enacted in April 2025, monthly job increases have averaged less than 27,000. According to the Labor Department, there are currently roughly 7.2 million job opportunities, with unemployment at 4.3 percent. Consumer confidence, as measured by the Conference Board, fell to 94.2 in September, the lowest level since April. These factors exacerbate Americans’ concerns about their economic future, despite broader data showing a relatively stable labor market.
Disconnect between economic data and popular confidence.
The AP-NORC poll highlights a growing gap between official economic indicators and public perception. While macroeconomic indices imply relative stability, many Americans are financially insecure and concerned about their future. Concerns about inflation, tariffs, stagnating wages, and growing critical costs are all adding to widespread uneasiness, posing enormous obstacles for authorities attempting to rebuild public trust.
The vast majority of U.S. people experience “minor” concern about the cost of groceries, health care, housing, the amount they pay in taxes, their pay at work, and the cost of petrol for their cars.
According to the survey, 47% are “not very” or “not at all” confident in their ability to cover an unexpected medical bill, while 52% are unsure whether they will have enough saved for retirement. In addition, 63% are “not very” or “not at all” confident in their ability to purchase a new home if they so desired.
Young adults are far less confident in their ability to purchase a home, albeit confidence is not particularly high overall. roughly 8 in 10 U.S. adults under the age of 30 say they are “not very confident” or “not at all confident” in their ability to purchase a home, compared to roughly 6 in 10 adults 60 and older.
