64% Say Primary Objective of Businesses: Create Jobs
Most Americans think businesses should focus on the greater good of their fellow citizens, not just those on the inside.
A new Rasmussen Reports finds that just 26% of American Adults say the primary objective of a business should be to create value for the shareholders. Sixty-four percent (64%) believe the primary purpose should be to create jobs for the overall economy, while 10% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
These findings show little change from December of last year.
Thirty-nine percent (39%) of investors feel the focus of a business should be to maximize profit for the shareholders, compared to just 12% of non-investors.
Americans earning $40,000 or less annually are much more supportive of businesses focusing on creating jobs than those who are wealthier.
More women than men favor businesses helping the overall economy rather than just the shareholders. Democrats are more inclined to believe corporations should look out for the economy as a whole than Republicans and adults not affiliated with either political party.
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The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on August 20-21, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
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