Economic Mood Swing

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

The voice of the world in numbers

Feb. 4, 2025

Welcome to Front Page, where we break down Gallup's latest insights on our constantly evolving world. Here are the four insights you shouldn't miss this week:

1. Economic Mood Swing

Line Chart: Recent trend in Gallup's Economic Confidence Index, by political party.

The Data: Since the U.S. election, Democrats' Economic Confidence Index score has declined by 30 points to +7, while Republicans' has increased by 30 points to -42. Independents' score has improved by 16 points to -18.

Zooming Out: This shift in economic confidence mirrors what occurred during the Trump-Biden transition, but the partisan reversal won't be complete until the Trump presidency is further underway.

Multiple Line Chart: Partisan views of most important problem since the election.

The Data: Since October, mentions of “the government” as the most important problem have risen from 17% to become the leading issue at 23%, surpassing concerns about the economy and immigration.

Partisan Changes: This has been the trend across political parties. Following the election, fewer Republicans mentioned the economy and immigration as the United States' top problems than did so previously, while more Democrats cited the government.

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3. 10-Year Low: U.S. Employee Engagement

Line Chart: U.S. employee engagement trend.

The Data: Employee engagement in the U.S. has dropped to a decade-low 31%, matching the low point last seen in 2014.

The Trend: Following a peak of 36% in 2020, U.S. employee engagement has generally declined from its previous decade of growth.

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4. Housing Heartache

Bar Chart: OECD countries with highest dissatisfaction with housing.

The Data: A median of 50% of people in OECD countries are dissatisfied with the availability of affordable housing, while 43% are satisfied.

Crisis in Australia: Satisfaction with the availability of housing collapsed in Australia in 2024, dropping to a record-low 22%, while dissatisfaction soared to a record-high 76%. Across the OECD, only Turks were unhappier than Australians.