Most Americans optimistic about job prospects as nation emerges from pandemic


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Recent polling shows that Americans are feeling particularly optimistic about their job prospects as the nations reemerges from COVID-19 lockdowns.

The survey conducted by CBS News/YouGov found the found that respondents were optimistic about the following:

81% believed that businesses and workplaces could reopen safely
72% said they felt optimistic about job prospects in their locales
69% felt optimistic about their personal finances
67% also felt good about their ability to find a new job

If the right job opportunity arose, a quarter of Americans said they would consider moving to another town or even out of state for it. For people under 30, a third indicated a willingness to move if the opportunity presented.

Among those who said they would consider moving for a new job, financial considerations and job prospects were the main drivers at 64% and 63%, respectively.

The overall optimism of job hunters is generally good news for the country, but the pandemic may have had some lasting structural changes on the way Americans work too. The survey found that many workers enjoyed working remotely and would like to continue doing so. Among respondents who currently have a job, 43% said they would like to continue working at their workplace, but a combined 57% said they would prefer to either work entirely remotely (31%) or do some sort of hybrid between working from home and the workplace (26%).

Two-thirds of respondents also expressed confidence in their monthly ability to pay for food and housing, while 61% believed they could pay off old debts.

But paying for child care continues to be a source of stress for roughly half of Americans. Among people with children at home, just over half expressed confidence about paying for child care and nearly half continue to be concerned about it, according to CBS.