When asked whether this is a bad time to find a quality job, 65% of Americans said it was, matching the level of the 2001 recession, according to Rutgers University’s John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development. With unemployment at 5.7%, the highest level since 2004, and weekly unemployment claims hitting a six-year high earlier this month, workers are worried about everything from their weekly hours to their total pay. About one-third of respondents say the amount they owe on credit cards exceeds their retirement savings; another 3% say their credit card debt would cancel out their retirement account. 91% of workers say they’re “very” or “somewhat satisfied” with their jobs.
A majority of American workers hold favorable attitudes toward their health and retirement benefits (62%), the number of hours they work (83%), and their annual income (74%). 55% of hourly workers are satisfied with their health and medical benefits, compared to 75% of salaried workers.