Most Young Adults Say They Are Worse Off Compared to Four Years Ago

[Better Believe It]

Most Young Adults Say They Are Worse Off Compared to Four Years Ago
By: Jon Walker
November 2, 2011

Demos just released new comprehensive polling about the opinion of young adults. Politically the most interesting data point that stuck out for me is their finding that an overwhelmingly 68 percent of young people say it is harder for them to make ends meet now than it was four years ago. From the poll results:

•Sixty-eight percent of young Americans believe that it has become harder to make ends meet over the past four years, since the economic and financial crisis began.
•Latinos feel the shift more acutely; 78 percent report that it has become harder or much harder to make ends meet. Sixty-nine percent of whites and 66 percent of males agree.

Regular peoples’ answer to the basic question “are you better off than you were four years ago?” is one of the most important determining factors for an incumbent president’s re-election prospects. The answer is especially important this cycle given that economic issues have been the dominate concerns of voters. Among young voters the answer to whether they’re better off is currently an overwhelming NO.

http://elections.firedoglake.com/2011/11/02/most-young-adults-say-they-are-worse-off-compared-to-four-years-ago/

Charts and Graphs
The State of Young America: The Poll


Is your job in your chosen field?


Have your earnings increased/decreased/stayed the same?


Have you delayed going to college?


What explains your personal lack of health insurance?


What range of personal debt types do you fall in?


What type of debt has increased for you?


What have you delayed because of the economy?


What should be Congress' priorities?


What Could Help The Economy?


http://www.demos.org/data-bytes/4458

[progressoid]

1. Yeah, and this old adult too.

[Fumesucker]

5. +1

I remember the question "Are you better off than you were four years ago."

[Johonny]

14. +1

[Common Sense Party]

2. 64% of African Americans feel their income has INCREASED in the

last 4 years. Another 22% say it hasn't changed.

That seems rather amazing--at odds with other studies and articles that talk of how the economy is especially taking a toll in the African American community.

I'd love to know what's behind this anomaly.

[surrealAmerican]

12. I suspect it's the age group ...

... since "young adults" would include a disproportionate number of people who were full-time students four years ago, making even a low paying job more income than then.

[OKDem08]

3. The campaign trail is not going to be pleasant for Obama

this time around. I wonder if he's adequately prepared for what's he going to be hearing?

[SidDithers]

4. Oh look, it's FDL again...

Sid

[dionysus]

7. LOL, wtf is that?

[SidDithers]

8. It's OWS Down Twinkles...

C'mon, man, get with the program :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xV3zTlgu3Q

Colbert did a pretty funny interview with a couple of OWS protesters on Oct 31, but not sure about linking. I can't do Comedy Central links in Canada, and not sure if our Comedy Channel links will work in the US. I think this is the Colbert link: http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/mon-october-31-2011-neil-macgregor

I think the interview starts around the 5 minute mark.

And if something's good:




Too much time on my hands this morning :)

Sid

[Mimosa]

18. Sid you don't seem to know how tough the economy is for many here in the US

Your recs and un-recs often seem facetious and out of touch.

Canada has single payer health care for instance. That makes a huge difference in personal security for all age groups. It affects our outlooks.

I could try to explain it from my own current situation, where I avoid going to the doctor even when something's been wrong for a couple of days, but you wouldn't understand. Your personal security colours your perspective.

[seabeyond]

6. cost of everything has gone way up in the last four years. everyone is worse off. nt

[Turbineguy]

9. Latency

It took Wall street about 5 years to learn how to really rip us off after deregulation in 1999.

[Demonaut]

10. I blame Obama for losing my 17 +year job!, now I'm pulling teeth to get

funds from the tooth fairy...do you get the same for an incisor as a molar?

[libinnyandia]

11. why?

What did Obama do or didn't do? Wsa it deliberate?

[Demonaut]

13. depends on what my incisors are worth, I've got more molars

it was a joke

[libinnyandia]

15. Ha ha

I thought so but on DU I wondr sometimes. I haven't been posting long but I find it is easy to get pretty strong responses.

[Doctor_J]

16. I wish the the president had battled the Repukes fiercely and loudly

His "bi-partisan approach" might well take him down next year.

[Romulox]

17. JOBS should've been this administrations #1 priority. Instead, we get a "jobs bill" in year 3.

And most of that "jobs bill" is warmed over Bush-era free trade deals.

[Doctor_J]

19. Jobs, and the FAILURE of the Repukes' schemes to provide them

tax cuts have now been in effect for 10 frickin' years, resulting in a net LOSS of jobs

[Initech]

20. And the jobs bill we got was absolute crap thanks to Koch tea party dipshits.