Voters Skeptical About Fairness of Hiring Practices in Business World
Voters nationwide aren’t exactly confident that most employers in the business world are hiring the best candidates.
Business
Most Recent Releases
July 27, 2011
July 26, 2011
Spreading out the Taxes on Lottery Winnings By Cliff Ennico
"I have an unusual question for you. If I win a large prize in the lottery, should/could I establish a nonprofit corporation to receive the prize? I asked a financial advisor about this, and he said that I could do this and also have the identity of the manager (me) hidden from the public.
July 26, 2011
80% Think Any Budget Surplus Should Go To Paying Down the Debt
Should Congress ever again be able to generate a budget surplus, voters overwhelmingly want that money to go toward paying down the federal debt.
July 24, 2011
62% Say Troubled Homeowners Should Buy Cheaper Houses
The federal government Friday extended its deadline to apply to the Emergency Homeowners Loan Program, but most Americans believe troubled homeowners should sell their homes rather than receive government assistance to keep them.
July 22, 2011
Confidence in Home-Buying As a Family Investment Falls to Record Low
The belief among Americans that purchasing a home is a family’s best investment is weaker than ever.
July 21, 2011
Just 49% Say Home Is Worth More Than Mortgage
For the second month in a row, less than half of America’s homeowners believe the value of their home is worth more than the amount they still owe on their mortgage.
July 19, 2011
Just 11% Expect Their Home’s Value To Go Up Over Next Year
Confidence that home values will go up over the coming year has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded.
July 19, 2011
Homer's 'Iliad' and the Federal Budget Debate By Cliff Ennico
Those trying to figure out the mood of the American voter right now are bound to be scratching their heads. Last November, the voters threw Republicans into Congress in almost record numbers with a mandate to slash government spending and keep taxes as low as possible.
July 18, 2011
67% Believe Consumers Would Buy New Light Bulbs If They Work Even If Traditional Bulbs Are Still Available
The U.S. Department of Energy says that new light bulbs will cost more up front but save money in the long run. That, plus expected energy savings, has led to government regulations that will effectively ban the sale of traditional light bulbs starting next year.
July 16, 2011
57% Expect Higher Interest Rates Next Year
After dipping to a two-year low last month, the number of Americans who expect to pay higher interest rates next year has returned to levels found earlier in 2011.
July 14, 2011
79% Are Concerned About Inflation
Most Americans remain worried about inflation and lack confidence in the Federal Reserve to keep inflation under control and interest rates down.
July 14, 2011
55% Oppose Tax Hike In Debt Ceiling Deal
As the Beltway politicians try to figure out how they will raise the debt ceiling and for how long, most voters oppose including tax hikes in the deal.
July 14, 2011
Americans Divided Over Whether Government Will Do Too Much or Not Enough For Economy
As the nation struggles with high unemployment and a depressed housing market, voters are evenly divided about which worries them more—that the government will not do enough to fix the economy rather than do too much.
July 13, 2011
45% Confident In Stability Of U.S. Banking Industry
Trust in the U.S. banking industry has steadily slipped over the past three months, and the number of Americans that lack confidence now outweighs the number that is confident.
July 13, 2011
42% View Chamber of Commerce Favorably; 58% Share Favorable Opinion of AMA
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the major lobbying force in Washington, DC for the business community, but voters have mixed feelings about the organization.
July 12, 2011
57% of Working Americans Say They're Middle Class, Lowest Level in Two Years
One-in-five working Americans continue to classify themselves as poor, while the number of those who consider themselves middle class has fallen to a two-year low.
July 12, 2011
Can You Punish Employees For Things They Say on Facebook? By Cliff Ennico
"I run a small advertising agency with about 10 employees. Given the nature of our work, our employees spend much of their time online, especially on the social media websites including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. We have found these websites a tremendous source of revenue, as all of our clients are looking to develop advertising strategies for these sites.
July 12, 2011
70% Think Government Regulation Hurts Small Business More Than Big Business
Voters don’t care much for government regulation of the economy and think it has a bigger negative impact on small business.
July 8, 2011
70% Think Banks Should Loan Only To Those Best Able To Repay
While many policy makers worry that credit is too tight, most Americans think instead that people are borrowing more than they can afford.
July 8, 2011
Hiring Expectations Peaked Last November
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.
