美国有线新闻 CNN 美国失业率创17年新低 民调揭示民众对经济看法

美国失业率创17年新低 民调揭示民众对经济看法

The unemployment rate, the share of the American labor¹ force that doesn't have a job is low. It's at 4.1 percent. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics² records that as the lowest unemployment rate since the year 2000.

Now, a new national survey by the Pew Research Center is giving us a sense of how the American public feels about the job situation. Fifty percent of those surveyed say there are plenty of jobs to be found in their communities. That's the highest percentage of people who've said since 2001, and it's increased seven points since the summer of last year.

But wage growth has been a consistent³ challenge for the economy and 49 percent of the Americans surveyed said the cost of living is rising faster than their families incomes. Forty percent say they're breaking even, 9 percent say they're getting ahead. That's all a slight improvement from last year, but it's about even with the survey results from two years ago.

So, how do Americans feel about the economy overall? Forty-one said conditions are good or excellent. That's an increase of 10 points since last December. Fifty-nine percent said they're poor or fair.

And while those positive economic views have increased by 41 percentage points among Republicans⁴, they've decreased by 16 percentage points among Democrats⁵.

So, there appears to be a political divide on how American adults feel about the state of the national economy.

The survey was taken in late October. Pew Research interviewed more than 1,500 adults to get the info.

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 statistics   

n.统计，统计数字，统计学

参考例句：

• We have statistics for the last year.我们有去年的统计资料。
• Statistics is taught in many colleges.许多大学都教授统计学。

3 consistent   

adj.坚持的，一贯的，一致的，符合的

参考例句：

• He has been a consistent friend to the Chinese people.他是中国人民始终如一的朋友。
• His action is always consistent with his words.他始终言行一致。

4 republicans   

拥护共和政体者，共和主义者( republican的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Republicans got shellacked in the elections. 共和党在选举中一败涂地。
• The latest poll gives the Republicans a 5％ lead. 最近的民意调查结果表明共和党领先了五个百分点。

5 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》