Tuesday, March 24, 2020

One-third of Americans say they or someone in their close family is now unemployed thanks to the coronavirus. A whopping nine-out-of-10 are worried about the virus hitting them in the pocketbook.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 32% of American Adults say they or someone in their immediate family has lost their job because of the coronavirus. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

For those under the age of 40, 41% say they or someone in their immediate family is now out of work due to the virus.

Fifty-three percent (53%) of all Americans have been forced to cancel travel plans because of the virus threat.

Ninety-one percent (91%) are concerned about the financial impact of the coronavirus, with 67% who are Very Concerned.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it’s in the news, it’s in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted March 19 and 22, 2020 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Voters are closely divided over how the government has responded so far to the coronavirus threat, but, even in a time of national emergency, it appears that party affiliation overrides all.

Men and women report near equal impact on their immediate families and show similar levels of financial concern.

Blacks are more likely than whites and other minority Americans to be Very Concerned about the financial impact of the coronavirus. Democrats share this level of concern more than Republicans and those not affiliated with either major party.

Entrepreneurs have been harder hit than government workers and those employed in the private sector.

The more one earns, the less likely they are to report themselves or an immediate family member losing their job due to the virus. But higher-income adults are more likely to be Very Concerned about their finances.