Americans are feeling more pessimistic about the job market, a worrisome signal for the White House as it navigates economic blowback from the Iran war.
Only 28% have confidence in the US job market, according to new Gallup polling, down from 70% in 2022.
While 72% say it’s a bad time to get a job, more than half of US workers are looking for a new or better one, or at least watching for opportunities.
And more American workers say they are struggling in their lives opposed to thriving, representing a gradual decline over the past few years.
That slide has been particularly acute for the federal workforce, coinciding with the Trump administration’s purge of government workers last year.
The data adds to a bleak economic picture that also includes stubborn inflation and rising energy prices driven up by the war.