Americans Now More Concerned About the Deficit than Jobs

A couple of polls from Gallup this week were rather intriguing.

After yesterday’s plunge in jobless claims to a new recovery low (that was likely influenced by seasonal adjustments during a particularly difficult time of the year for jobs data due to temporary holiday employment), today’s Gallup survey on the labor market showed a steadily deteriorating situation over the last two weeks that may or may not show up in the government’s monthly report in two weeks.

But, this story about what Americans see as the most pressing problems in the nation today was even more surprising as concern over jobs has now fallen to number four on the list:

They note that “Dissatisfaction with the government” is at its highest level since the Watergate days in the early-1970s and, though concern over the “Economy in general” remains in the top spot, the percentage of respondents citing “Unemployment” as our top problem is at its lowest level since late-2009.