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American voters are “extremely pessimistic” about the economy regardless of their age, gender or race, according to new research conducted by former Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown’s pro-worker group and shared first with Semafor.
Brown’s Dignity of Work Institute drafted GQR to organize focus groups of voters across a wide spread of demographics, including white men who did not attend college and live in rural areas and mothers who have young children and live in suburbs. Four in five participants said they did not feel financially secure, while nine in 10 said they think the economy is getting worse. They said they blame “greedy corporations” and view politicians as “in bed” with them.
“It’s clear that workers don’t trust either party,” Brown told Semafor. “They kind of expected it from Republicans, but they feel a betrayal from Democrats.”
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The research is at odds with most indicators, which reveal an economy largely in limbo as policymakers and investors await more clarity on President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his party’s megabill. The labor market seems resilient, inflation has relented, and some (but not all) measures of consumer sentiment appear on the rise.
“Politicians in both parties … measure the economy [by] the stock market or unemployment rate or inflation,” Brown said. “That’s not how the voters think about it; that’s not how workers think about it.”
“It’s clear they don’t feel listened to,” Brown added. “It’s clear that the measurement of the economy by those three things — stock market, unemployment rate, inflation rate — does not capture their view.”
Brown said he hopes the research spurs his former colleagues to pursue more policies that rein in the private sector: “Regardless of where you are in the political spectrum, the voters want you to stand up to corporate interests. And not nearly enough of my colleagues do.”