DES MOINES, Iowa and
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Allstate
Corporation (NYSE: ALL) and National Journal today released
results of the 25th Heartland Monitor Poll, which found
that the majority of Americans believe determination and hard work
are the critical differentiators in personal success, ahead of
economic conditions and government policies.
In the midst of the political season marked by discussion about
upward mobility, the poll gauged the public's views and outlooks on
a variety of topics affecting local communities across the country,
such as the state of the economy, financial security, education and
home-ownership. It also compared sentiments to responses from
earlier Heartland Monitor Polls conducted during the height of the
Great Recession (2009-2011) to assess how the recovery affected
important issues for Americans.
"Our latest Heartland Monitor Poll reaffirms our prevailing
American values of hard work, resilience and creativity," said
Harriet K. Harty, Executive Vice
President – Human Resources, Allstate Insurance Company. "We see
this spirit of innovation and self-determination in the 10,000
communities we serve every day. Our country is rebuilding because
individuals are taking their future into their own hands and
working hard to make a good life for themselves and their
families."
State of the Economy
The majority of Americans
believe the economy will improve or stay the same during the next
year, but rate the current state as fair/poor:
- During the next 12 months, 71 percent of respondents believe
the United States economy will
improve or stay the same, though only a quarter (24 percent)
thinking it will become worse.
- In terms of viewpoints of the U.S. economy post Great
Recession, more than half of Americans (53 percent) believe the
economy looks and works differently from before the recession,
whereas 43 percent say it looks the same as it was prior to the
recession.
- In rating the current state of the economy, 78 percent of
Americans say it is fair/poor, compared to 21 percent who believe
it is excellent/good. However, this is an uptick from a
September 2013 Heartland Monitor
Poll, where only 11 percent believed the economy was
excellent/good.
Financial Security
In regards to financial security,
Americans remain cautious, but there are some signs of improvement
in future outlooks:
- Nearly two-thirds of Americans (63 percent) believe they are
living the American Dream, compared with 59 percent in March 2011.
- The number of Americans in January
2016 who reported their personal financial situation as
excellent/good reached the highest rate since June 2013 (45 percent). However, 54 percent rated
their personal financial situation as fair/poor.
- More Americans (57 percent in 2009 to 64 percent in 2016)
believe that determination and hard work are the most important
success factors.
- Adults who claimed they can live comfortably and save
adequately for retirement increased by 10 percent since the
recession. Nevertheless, 46 percent of respondents still say they
find it difficult to save and invest for retirement and other
purposes.
- During the recession, almost six-in-10 (59 percent) were
confident they had enough financial assets to provide a reasonable
cushion of security in the case of job loss or significant decrease
in income, but only half (51 percent) expressed the same confidence
in 2016.
Education and Home Ownership
The majority of
respondents believe that owning a home and graduating from college
are just as achievable as during the recession, but their attitudes
towards education's role in success and getting ahead are
changing:
- Most people polled believe say owning a home (63 percent) and
graduating from college (62 percent) are just as achievable in
January 2016 as they were in
March 2011. However, they say that
"raising a family and making sure they have more opportunity than
you did" (65 percent in 2011 to 55 percent in 2016) is less
achievable today.
- Fifty-two percent of respondents say young people do not need a
four-year college education in order to be successful. This belief
is similar for Americans with a college degree (52 percent) and
those who do not have a college degree (53 percent).
- Only 36 percent of Americans believe that personal debt for
college, homeownership or to start a business is necessary as it
helps people achieve the American Dream. In addition, nearly
six-in-10 (57 percent) believe personal debt creates
obstacles.
- Fifty-five percent of Millennials think their generation has
more opportunities than their parents.
"Americans still have faith that their own efforts rather than
forces beyond their control are the key to their success in life,"
said Ronald Brownstein, editorial
director of Atlantic Media. "But this poll makes clear that
Americans believe that the path to success has grown more
complex and challenging. To a large extent Americans still believe
they are 'paddling alone' through more turbulent financial
waters than earlier generations faced."
To see in-depth poll data for the 25th Allstate/National
Journal Heartland Monitor Poll, please visit
www.HeartlandMonitor.com.
Survey Methodology
The 25th installment of the
Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll, conducted
January 2-6, 2016, reprised questions
asked during the heart of the economic recession to measure changes
in Americans opinions and attitudes on important issues: How do the
opportunities and challenges facing my generation compare to my
parent's generation or my children's generation? Is it still
possible to live the American Dream? What impact did the economic
recession have on Americans' finances? Did the government's
response help or hinder the economic recovery and what kind of
government agenda is most likely to help Americans get ahead?
The survey was conducted among a national sample of 1,000 adults
age 18+, with 500 reach via cell phone and 500 reached via
landline. The margin of error for a sample of 1,000 is +/-
3.1 in 95 out of 100 cases.
About Allstate Corporation
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest
publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16
million households from life's uncertainties through auto, home,
life and other insurance offered through its Allstate, Esurance,
Encompass and Answer Financial brand names. Allstate is widely
known through the slogan "You're In Good Hands With Allstate®." The
Allstate brand's network of small businesses offers auto, home,
life and retirement products and services to customers in
the United States and Canada. In 2014, The Allstate Foundation,
Allstate, its employees and agency owners gave $34 million to support local communities.
Allstate employees and agency owners donated 200,000 hours of
service across the country.
About National Journal
National Journal is a
premium provider of essential insights and analysis for those
operating in Washington's policy
and government arenas. Through its membership strategy and research
products and services, editorial content, National Journal
serves 1000 of Washington's top
organizations and convenes the nation's top leaders at dozens of
editorial and member events each year. National Journal is a
division of Atlantic Media, based in Washington, D.C. Poppy MacDonald is
President and Publisher.
About FTI Consulting
FTI Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: FCN) is a global business advisory firm
dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise
value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic
environment. With more than 4,400 employees located in 26
countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients
to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges
in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and
acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic
communications and restructuring. The company generated
$1.76 billion in revenues during
fiscal year 2014. For more information,
visit www.fticonsulting.com and connect with us on
Twitter (@FTIConsulting), Facebook and LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Allstate Corporation