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The Rasmussen Employment Index rose more than two points in December after falling four points the month before.
Fifteen percent (15%) now say the company they work for is hiring, up one point from a month ago and roughly the level maintained from March through October. Twenty-eight percent (28%) say their company is laying off, down one point from a month ago. Fifty-two percent (52%) say there has been no change where they work.
At 63.9, the Employment Index is down just over three points from a year ago. Typically, an increase in the Employment Index suggests that the government's official report on job creation "“ scheduled for release on Friday - will be stronger than the month before. However, the results have been volatile in recent months and hiring expectations have remained at low levels.
For the second month in a row, 31% of Americans are worried about losing their jobs, the highest level of concern since the Index was launched six years ago.
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Only 33% now rate their personal finances as good or excellent, down three points from the month before and down six from a year ago. Twenty-two percent (21%) say their finances are poor.
Also for the second month in a row, just 23% say their finances are getting better while 48% say their finances are getting worse.
In a separate survey, the Discover U.S. Spending Monitor fell 3.3 points in December to 83.0 (based out of 100), its lowest standing in nine months. The decline was primarily driven by a big decrease in post-holiday spending intentions from consumers. But consumers also grew slightly more pessimistic about their finances.
Americans start the new year with a bleak assessment of the housing market's prospects for recovery. Sixty-five percent (65%) think it will be three years or more before housing prices recover.
Just 38% now believe the U.S. economy will get stronger over the coming year, while 39% expect the economy to get weaker, up eight from a year ago.
Fifty percent (50%) believe the country will still be in recession at the end of 2010,
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Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.
The Rasmussen Reports Election Edgeâ?¢ Premium Service offers the most comprehensive public opinion coverage available anywhere.
Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade.
The Rasmussen Employment Index is based on monthly telephone surveys with approximately 9,000 U.S. workers. The margin of sampling error for a survey based on this number of interviews is approximately +/-1 percent with a 95 percent level of confidence.
Rasmussen Employment Index History
Dec 2009
63.9
Nov 2009
61.7
Oct 2009
66.1
Sep 2009
65.6
Aug 2009
63.9
July 2009
57.8
June 2009
68.4
May 2009
66.7
April 2009
64.2
March 2009
61.7
Feb 2009
60.9
Jan 2009
61.1
Dec 2008
67.0
Nov 2008
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