Last November, the Rasmussen Employment Index capped four months of improvement by reaching its highest level since February 2008. At that time, the number of workers who reported their firms were hiring (20.5%) was nearly equal to the number reporting layoffs (20.7%). That was the best net hiring number (-0.2) since the financial industry melted down in September 2008. It also turns out to be the peak of the post-bailout era.
American workers are more confident that their next job will be better than their current one, but most still aren’t looking for other work just yet.
As with many organizations that get caught up in partisan politics, the NAACP gets mixed reviews from the American public.
As Congress continues its debate over the national debt ceiling, Americans are less confident than ever that the nation’s policymakers know what they are doing when it comes to the economy.
Most Americans think their fellow countrymen use their credit cards too much but don’t feel they personally have a borrowing problem.
The nation’s largest teachers’ union on Monday endorsed President Obama’s reelection 16 months before Election Day 2012, but then most Republicans already have a negative opinion of the National Education Association. Democrats, on the other hand, are big fans.
The Rasmussen Employment Index, which measures workers’ perceptions of the labor market each month, inched up less than point in June.
AARP, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, has made news recently by shifting its position on Social Security benefit cuts, but public perceptions of the group are little changed from two years ago.
Last week, I gave a presentation on Internet sales taxes at the eighth annual eBay Radio party in Las Vegas -- a confab of some of the top eBay sellers in the United States and Canada.
The majority of voters now understand that most of the federal budget goes to just three areas, but they still want to vote on any proposed changes to the ones that directly impact their retirement.
It pays to read your junk mail sometimes. Last week, I received a postcard from a Broadway production company looking to raise money for a revival of a classic Broadway musical.
Most Americans continue to believe now is not a good time for someone to sell their house. At the same time, confidence that buying a home is the best investment a family can make has fallen to a new low.
Overall confidence in housing values among homeowners has plummeted, with the number who say their home is worth more than what they owe on their mortgage lower than ever.
Many cash-strapped states are considering selling lottery tickets online to boost revenue. Some like Minnesota and New Jersey have already begun the process. But most Americans nationwide aren’t keen on the idea, perhaps because many think online gambling shouldn’t be legal.
While both General Motors and Chrysler have repaid sizable portions of their federal government bailouts, fewer than half of Americans now believe either automaker will fully repay taxpayers for the money they received.
While state lotteries across the country scramble for ways to attract customers, Americans seem to be less enthusiastic about the government-run gambling operations.
Ford, the Big Three automaker who didn't take a government bailout, remains the most well-liked of the three companies, although opinions of General Motors have improved.
It's sum ... sum ... summertime. Time to throw away the business books and do some brainless "beach reading." Except when you write a small-business column, you see entrepreneurial advice in just about any book you pick up. It goes with the territory. Truth is you can get business lessons from just about anyone in any field.
Nearly half of Americans believe they will be paying higher interest rates in a year's time, but that's the lowest finding in over two years.
The vast majority of adults nationwide remain concerned about inflation and the impact it will have on grocery prices both now and in the future.
