Thursday, March 26, 1998

This Washington Post poll is based on random telephone interviews with 1009 adults, 733 of whom were working full or part time, conducted Dec. 19 - 23, 1997. The margin of error for results based on working respondents is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

(THESE QUESTIONS ARE BASED ON RESPONDENTS WHO WORK FULL OR PART TIME.)

Now a few questions about work. Some people say they work primarily for the money. Others work primarily because it gives them personal satisfaction. How about you ...

1. Would you say money is ...

The main reason you work ............................... 47 percent
An important reason, but not the main reason, or ....... 44
Not an important reason why you work .................... 9
No opinion .............................................. *

2. Would you say personal satisfaction is ...

 
The main reason you work ............................... 25 percent
An important reason, but not the main reason, or ....... 59
Not an important reason why you work ................... 15
No opinion .............................................. 1

3. If you could live as well as you do now without working, would you choose to ... (READ LIST)

Continue working the same amount ..................................... 31 percent
Continue working, but work fewer hours or fewer days per week, or .... 50
Stop working altogether	.............................................. 19
No opinion ............................................................ *

4. If you did stop working altogether, how much would you miss it, if at all? Would you miss it a lot, some, a little, or not at all?

A lot ............ 45 percent
Some ............. 26
A little ......... 14
Not at all ....... 14
No opinion ........ 1