Problem: Most Americans don't believe the unemployment rate is 5%

September 6, 2016

The U.S. unemployment rate is only 4.9%, but 57% of Americans believe it’s a lot higher than that, according to a new survey by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.

The general public has “extremely little factual knowledge” about the job market and labor force, Rutgers found.

CNN Money, September 6

Recent Posts

Report Release: R/ECON Forecast Summer 2026

Read Report New Jersey’s Summer 2026 economic outlook presents a picture of tempered growth and a labor market that, while stabilizing, remains under pressure. The state closed out 2025 with solid GDP growth, but the momentum is expected to ease considerably over the...