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Hovering Above Poverty, Grasping for Middle Class
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Half of low-wage workers believe the growth in international trade has made things worse for the country as a whole, nearly triple the number who said it made things better. Fewer feel impacted personally. More than half said trade has not made much of a difference in their lives, while just over 1 in 4 said it had made their lives worse. Thirteen percent said trade made it better.
Even as they are deeply concerned and frustrated about their financial condition, the vast majority of low-wage workers look forward to a brighter future. By a larger than 4 to 1 margin, these workers are more apt to think they will move up than slip backwards in terms of social class. Similarly, 59 percent of those with children predict that the new generation will be better off than they are today.
In some cases, their confidence springs from experience. Almost half said they are better off now than their parents were at a similar stage of their lives. About a quarter said they were doing about the same. Twenty-seven percent said they are doing worse. Immigrants, who have the circumstances in their home countries for comparison, are particularly apt to say they are doing better than their parents and expect even better times for their children.
Overall, nearly half of all workers in the poll feel at least "somewhat close" to the American dream, and optimism burns brighter among young workers and those born outside the United States. Only about 2 in 10 low-wage workers said flatly that they are unlikely to achieve it in their lifetimes.
"It's still attainable, just a little bit harder now at this time in the economy," said Edward Morrissey, 47, a mortgage broker from Flourtown, Pa., whose income plummeted in the housing downturn. "But yeah, everybody wants to be able to have their own house and family, and be able to pay their bills, and have a little extra money, and you can still do it."
Polling analyst Jennifer Agiesta and assistant polling analyst Kyle Dropp contributed to this report.
