Economy - Fall 2003

 

Respondents think two major aspects of the economy are in decline and will likely remain so for the near future. Perhaps the most significant indicator of the state of the economy is jobs, and 40% of respondents believe that the job situation in their areas will worsen in the future. One person in three (34%) thinks the state’s economy is going to worsen. And, eight out of ten people think health care costs will get worse.
On a personal level, two out of five respondents think that things will get better for them in the next year, and an additional 41% believe things will stay the same. Almost three out of four people expect their job security to improve (22%) or remain the same (49%) in the future.
Three out of four respondents say that more job opportunities would improve the quality of their lives a great deal (41%) or somewhat (35%), a similar proportion think that greater job security would improve their lives a great deal (38%) or somewhat (34%). More job training would improve quality of life a great deal for 24% and somewhat for 33%.
Personal finances have taken a downturn. Half of state residents say they have less money to spend after paying their bills than they had one year ago. As they contemplate how to spend their remaining income, their priorities are vacations (27%), sports and recreation (17%), buying something for the home (16%), and savings (21%).
Summary State residents see the economic situation as problematic both statewide and in their own communities. At the root of this outlook are jobs and rising costs of health care. Young people age 18 to 24 are the most optimistic about their own future and the availability of jobs. People age 45 to 64 are less optimistic. These respondents are more optimistic about their personal circumstances in the future than they are about the situation overall. Although 40% think that the jobs availability will worsen, 72% think their own job security will get better or stay the same. Moreover, 83% are less likely to predict that their personal situation will get worse the next year.