More Americans say they are struggling at their jobs rather than thriving, even as confidence in the job market has hit a new low, according to a poll.
The latest Gallup poll shows that for the first time since they began tracking U.S. workers’ life satisfaction, a larger share say they are struggling (49 percent) than thriving (46 percent).
A year ago, 47 percent said they were struggling, while 49 percent said they were thriving.
The share of U.S. workers who say they are struggling has climbed in recent years, rising from 43 percent in 2022, while the proportion who say they are thriving has fallen from 53 percent over the same period.
The shift has been particularly stark among federal workers following Trump’s sweeping cuts to the government workforce at the start of his second term. Since January 2025, the administration has fired more than 387,000 employees.
Federal workers have experienced one of the sharpest declines in well-being, with their thriving rate dropping 12 points since 2022, from 60 percent to 48 percent. That fall was far steeper than the six-point decline seen among state and local government workers, whose thriving rate fell to 50 percent, and the overall U.S. workforce.
Meanwhile, younger workers are far gloomier about the job market than older Americans. In 2025, just 19 percent of Gen Z workers and 24 percent of millennials said it was a good time to find a job, compared with 33 percent of Gen X and 42 percent of baby boomers. Overall, only 28 percent of respondents said it was a good time to find a job.
The data is troubling for Trump, who rode a wave of Gen Z support back into office in 2024, as he heads into the 2026 midterms.
Rising costs and the job market are key issues for voters, even as Trump continues to dismiss affordability as a Democratic “hoax.”
In a recent NBC News poll, 48 percent of voters cited inflation and cost of living as the most important issues facing the country, far outweighing any other issue.
Meanwhile, everyday costs are hitting voters hard at the pump, with gas prices soaring amid the war in Iran. The national average for a gallon of gasoline has climbed over a dollar in just a month, rising from $2.94 to $3.95 as of Sunday.
Amid the uncertainty, recent polls have shown that Trump is tanking on the economy.
The Gallup poll showed that confidence in the U.S. job market has plunged, with just 28 percent of workers expressing trust in it—down sharply from 70 percent in 2022, while 72 percent say now is a bad time to enter the workforce.
The NBC News poll showed that 62 percent of voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation and the cost of living.
A new CBS News/YouGov poll also showed recently that more than half of Americans say that Trump’s second presidency has left them worse off financially.
“Look, these are numbers that if I were a Republican running for Congress, I would be shaking in place because there’s really nowhere to hide,” CNN pollster Harry Enten said.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
