Forty-nine percent (49%) of adults nationwide now say it is possible for anyone who really wants to work to find a job. That’s up from 45% a month ago but still down from 52% in January.

The new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 37% say it’s not true that anybody who wants work can find a job and 14% are not sure.

Fifty-two percent (52%) now believe just about anybody can work their way out of poverty. That’s down four points from 56% a month ago and little changed from January.

Data released earlier this week shows that short-term optimism about the economy is increasing while long-term optimism is heading in the opposite direction.

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Thirty percent (30%) of Americans now say it’s possible for just about anyone to work hard and get rich. Fifty-one percent (51%) disagree.

The Rasmussen Employment Index, a monthly measure of U.S. worker confidence in the employment market, stabilized in March after falling for five straight months.

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