Poll finds Mainers feeling bit more secure about jobs
11/9/09 | 19 comments
employment

Poll finds Mainers feeling bit more secure about jobs


By Kevin Miller
BDN Staff

A new poll reports that Mainers are increasingly pessimistic about the direction of the nation but at the same time are feeling somewhat more secure about their jobs today than six months ago despite the ongoing recession.

In the second installment of the firm’s biannual poll, Critical Insights of Portland found that just 27 percent of participants said they believed the economy is better today than 12 months ago, while 41 percent say it has gotten worse and 31 percent rated it as about the same.

Survey respondents also continued to list the economy as their top concern, but issues such as health care have closed some ground. In the fall 2009 survey, 31 percent of participants said the economy is the most important issue facing Maine today, compared to 35 percent in April and 59 percent last fall.

Health care received the second-highest number of votes as the most important issue, at 17 percent. The Critical Insights survey of 600 people was conducted between Oct. 23 and 27 and has a margin of error of 3.4 percent.

On the issue of unemployment, participants in the fall 2009 poll were feeling slightly more confident about job stability than a year or six months ago.

Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they were concerned about themselves or someone in their household losing their job in the next year, compared to 34 percent in April. Additionally, only 11 percent listed unemployment as the most important issue facing Maine today, down from 27 percent who listed it as the top issue in the April 2009 poll.

The poll was released Friday, the same day federal officials announced the national unemployment rate had topped 10 percent for the first time since April 1983. The state Labor Department reported last month that Maine’s unemployment rate dropped by 0.1 percentage point to 8.5 percent between August and September.

“While unemployment remains one of the top five concerns, the fact that respondents are less worried than they were six months ago about job losses is one of several hints that Maine residents may be feeling some cautious optimism about the economy,” reads an analysis of the poll results provided by Critical Insights.

The survey suggests that many Mainers remain pessimistic about where the state and nation are headed.

Six months ago, 59 percent of participants told Critical Insights they believed the nation was headed in the right direction. That figure has dropped to 47 percent.

Fewer Mainers also feel the state is headed in the right direction — 30 percent today vs. 34 percent in April. But interestingly, the cohort who believes Maine is headed down the wrong track has also shrunk in the past six months, from 59 percent to 52 percent. Instead, 17 percent of respondents in the most recent survey said they were unsure compared to 7 percent in the April poll.

Critical Insights also polled state residents on other issues such as their attitudes toward elected officials and the H1N1 flu outbreak.

Among the findings are:

• 56 percent had a favorable opinion of President Barack Obama, down from 61 percent in the spring. That is the same percentage as a recent national poll.

• More than 50 percent of respondents approved of the president’s handling of foreign affairs and the economy, but only 42 percent approved of his handling of health care and 38 percent of the war in Afghanistan.

• 52 percent disapproved of Gov. John Baldacci’s job performance, versus 47 percent in fall 2008.

• 70 percent approved of Sen. Olympia Snowe’s job performance, down 1 percent from the spring. Sen. Susan Collins had a job approval rating of 68 percent, down 5 percent since the spring.

• 79 percent regarded the H1N1 flu situation as “very serious” or “somewhat serious.” But 30 percent of respondents said they were not confident in the safety of the H1N1 flu vaccine, and 34 percent said they did not plan to get H1N1 flu vaccinations for themselves or their family.

• 84 percent believe development of wind power will create jobs and additional economic opportunities in Maine.

• More than three-quarters would strongly support or somewhat support the acquisition of additional “public lands” in the North Woods from willing sellers as long as the land is used for conservation, water access and outdoor recreation.

kmiller@bangordailynews.net

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Comments
19 comments on this item
On 11/9/09 at 1:42 AM, Adelaide wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

What jobs?

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On 11/9/09 at 3:52 AM, Farmer101 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Where did they get this crap from?

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On 11/9/09 at 4:09 AM, leumas wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

You'll are fired!

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On 11/9/09 at 6:00 AM, maineboy wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Ohe of the lowest paid highest taxed state in the country. Got to be a liberal fool to like that.

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On 11/9/09 at 6:06 AM, downbeat wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

This poll is bogus unless they kept their calls to the falmouth foreside/ Cumberland zip code..

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On 11/9/09 at 6:10 AM, Beelzebubba wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

• 52 percent disapproved of Gov. John Baldacci’s job performance, versus 47 percent in fall 2008.

Wow...still that many Kool-Aid drinkers in Maine?

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On 11/9/09 at 6:25 AM, freewill wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

None of it matters. We live in an imaginary world. The economy is meaningless because it revolves around a dollar that has no worth. Oddly, all levels of government are greed motivated which is counterintuitive since the legal tender is worthless. Yet, I continue to waste my precious time going to the polls... .

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On 11/9/09 at 6:30 AM, Ladyslipper wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Think I'll have a 2nd cup of coffee, Then I'll reread these poll findings , downbeat may have a point, This poll had to have been taken in the Portland area.

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On 11/9/09 at 6:59 AM, otisfieldman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

just another very important but meaningless study! and these people get paid to do it with our money! they call people from the other maine (cumberland,york southern maine)

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On 11/9/09 at 7:52 AM, Native1710 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

When only 27% of the respondents feel the economy is better than it was a year ago, it is BAD NEWS!!!! A positive spin won't convince the 73% that anything has changed for the better. The storyline should read: "73% feel the economy hasn't improved in the last year". The majority opinion takes precedent everywhere except in the news/fantasy world.

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On 11/9/09 at 8:06 AM, Knightscross wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

There are no jobs left in Maine. At least jobs that support a family. What a ignorant and out of touch Poll. By the way, there is a disconnect here, guess Mainers don't think they belong to the USA. If the USA goes into the tank, so goes Maine, twice as bad.

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On 11/9/09 at 8:07 AM, Coolfusion wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Anyone believing this bogus poll deserves to. Are you going to believe these spinmisters or your "lying eyes"?

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On 11/9/09 at 8:36 AM, Amazed wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

With an unemployment rate of 10% and MORE cutbacks on the way, who in their right mind would feel confident?!!! Makes no sense whatsoever.

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On 11/9/09 at 8:42 AM, HarryHSnyderIII wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Obviously this poll did not include Washington County, nor anyone whom I know. Here's something for you; Things here were never as bad as they were painted by the South-of-Ellsworth crowd, and now those same things are not "improving."

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On 11/9/09 at 8:54 AM, JoeDoe wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

It never ceases to amaze me how stupid politicians and journalists think the average citizen is. another example. Harry Reid says he wants to incorporate an opt out for states that don't want state run health care. How do you opt out of something if we are all footing the bill? Its paid by taxes! why arent the journalists asking these types of questions?

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On 11/9/09 at 9:03 AM, Amazed wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I think they need to find a new group of people to poll. This is what I found on their website:

http://www.criticalinsights.com/offerings.research.asp

Perhaps they just polled people in Portland? There are definitely some obvious flaws in their stats. I wonder if they are the ones who do the stats for the state H1N1 virus too.

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On 11/9/09 at 9:38 AM, HarryHSnyderIII wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

JoeDoe wrote:

"It never ceases to amaze me how stupid politicians and journalists think the average citizen is. another example. Harry Reid says he wants to incorporate an opt out for states that don't want state run health care."

Alas, There is no current proposal for "State run Health Care" anywhere in the legislative pipeline. The proposal is a "public option" (like medicare) type of insurance for those who can not, or choose not to elect a private health care insurer. I would never suggest members of my society were "stupid" but some are woefully uninformed.

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On 11/9/09 at 10:19 AM, chersully2000 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Senator Snowe still has a 70% approval rating. And all these people on the BDN threads always saying her job is in jeopardy next election....yeah right. Some of these poll results may be a bit off but from what I have heard elsewhere, her approval ratings are still very high in this state.

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On 11/9/09 at 11:21 AM, busymominmaine207 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Yes it was done in Portland by a company called Critical Insights of Portland. Hence why there is Jobs and people feel confident of having and keeping their jobs. These are people not living here in Bangor area..

That is why I am surprised that people still approve of Senator Snowe, I cannot wait to get her out of office and did not vote for her last election either. And have no intentions of voting for Baldacci this next election that comes up for them..

I don't feel Senator Snowe is doing much for Maine she did at one time but not now.

And Baldacci should of never been voted into office he is not doing well at all.

As far as believing the poll hardly it was not taken for all of Maine to vote on.. I am sure if BDN did something like this they would get a lot of different results then what they got..

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