相較于疫情爆發(fā)初期的信心最低點,,美國人對經濟前景的看法已經有所改觀。但一項新民調顯示,,在美國經濟深陷史上最嚴重的衰退之際,,民主黨人和共和黨人似乎生活在不同的經濟現(xiàn)實中。
在一項由美聯(lián)社與NORC公共事務研究中心聯(lián)合進行的新調查中,,85%的民主黨人認為經濟狀況“糟糕”,,而65%的共和黨人則認為經濟狀況“很好”。
2020年總統(tǒng)大選前美國社會兩極分化之嚴重,,由此可見一斑。根據這項調查反映的一系列指標顯示,,美國經濟依舊疲弱,,但正在走向復蘇。
“經濟很糟糕,,但正在迅速改善,。”曾任奧巴馬政府首席經濟學家的哈佛大學教授杰森·弗曼說道,,“美國人對經濟現(xiàn)狀的解釋迥然不同,,具體的看法取決于你問的人屬于兩大黨派中的哪一個?!?/font>
美國人既能看到希望的曙光,也可以發(fā)現(xiàn)質疑的理由,。他們面臨著一系列不確定因素,,其中包括新冠疫情的發(fā)展軌跡、客戶流失后小企業(yè)的命運,,以及政府再施援手的可能性,。
總體而言,63%的美國人認為經濟狀況不佳,,較5月的70%有所下降,。這一變化在很大程度上拜日益樂觀的共和黨人所賜——就在一個月前,,僅有43%的共和黨人認為經濟狀況良好?,F(xiàn)在,三分之二的共和黨人預計經濟明年會變好,,而持此觀點的民主黨人僅占29%。
現(xiàn)年78歲的西爾瑪·羅斯來自密蘇里州格蘭比市,。她認為,,如果特朗普總統(tǒng)能擊敗民主黨挑戰(zhàn)者,、前副總統(tǒng)喬·拜登,,美國經濟就會復蘇,。
“我認為,,要是我們選對了總統(tǒng),經濟就會好起來的,,而且會比以往任何時候都更加強大,。”羅斯說,,“特朗普總統(tǒng)畢竟是商人出身,。”
然而,,在非洲裔美國人喬治·弗洛伊德慘遭明尼阿波利斯市警察殺害之后,,抗議浪潮席卷全美,要求拆除南方邦聯(lián)和克里斯托弗·哥倫布紀念雕像的呼聲日益高漲,。這一切讓她倍感憂慮,。羅斯認為,分裂對經濟復蘇有百害而無一利,。
羅斯在談到特朗普時說:“我祈禱那個人獲得神賜予的靈感和指導,,因為他現(xiàn)在很需要這些?!?/font>
這項調查發(fā)現(xiàn),與白人相比,,非洲裔和拉美裔美國人更有可能說,,家里有人失去了工作或其他收入。隨著弗洛伊德之死引發(fā)的全美反警察暴行抗議活動仍在蔓延,,這種不平等讓世人對結構性種族主義有了更深入的認知,。
總的來說,66%的拉美裔和53%的非洲裔美國人表示,,他們經歷過某種形式的家庭收入損失,,包括裁員、無薪休假,、工時或薪水削減,。42%的白人有類似經歷。34%的拉美裔,,29%的非洲裔和20%的白人說有家人失去了工作,。
有跡象表明,其中一些裁員正在變成永久性的,。在所有經歷過家人失業(yè)的受訪者中,,有55%的人認為他們肯定或可能會重返工作崗位,有8%的人已經復工,。不過,,還有36%的人很可能無法重新上崗,這一比例遠高于4月的20%,。
今年3月和4月,,隨著人們?yōu)樽柚挂咔槁佣阍诩遥洕鷫嬋肷顪Y,,失業(yè)率飆升到至少14.7%,。對政府調查的回應顯示,實際失業(yè)率可能更高,。到5月時,,經濟終于顯露復蘇跡象。社會消費品零售總額激增17.7%,,新增就業(yè)崗位250萬個,。失業(yè)率降至13.3%,但這仍然是1948年以來有記錄的第二高失業(yè)率,。
54歲的利亞·埃弗里失去了在達拉斯郊區(qū)駕駛校車的工作,。她每天都會查看電子郵件,尋求了解學校的復課計劃,。一個月前,,她申請了失業(yè)救濟金,但時至今日,,她的申請還在審查中,。
“我們每天都在為支付賬單而掙扎,我知道其他人也在經歷同樣的事情?!彼f,。
埃弗里承受的壓力不止是失業(yè)。她的姑姑前不久死于新冠肺炎,,她還需要照顧年邁的母親,,以及每周有三天需要去醫(yī)院透析的丈夫。她說,,這是一份沒有報酬的全職工作,。
“我只有閑下來時才有空哭泣?!彼f,,“你不知道明天還會發(fā)生什么事情?!?/font>
近3萬億美元獲準撥付的聯(lián)邦救助金,,讓許多人免于遭受經濟衰退的痛苦。大約三分之二的美國人仍然認為,,他們的個人財務狀況良好,。
一個跨黨派經濟學家團體提議聯(lián)邦政府再增加1萬億至2萬億美元的援助資金,以維持經濟復蘇,,其中包括為州和地方政府提供定向資金,,為小企業(yè)提供補貼貸款,加大失業(yè)救濟力度,,為低收入工人提供援助等等,。
“這應該被視為一種對經濟的投資?!眳⑴c領導這項工作的馬里蘭大學經濟學教授梅麗莎·科爾尼說,。這些提議基于扎實的經濟理念,以往的證據表明,,此舉將促進經濟增長,,并為仍處于早期和脆弱階段的復蘇提供新動力。
在南阿拉巴馬大學學習之余,,20歲的布羅克斯頓·桑德斯一直在賣床墊,。今年上大三的他主修政治學,是一位很被看好的年輕人,。他希望將來能掌管一家退伍軍人醫(yī)院,。桑德斯注意到,每逢陣亡將士紀念日的周末,,床墊銷量就會出現(xiàn)一定漲幅,。但最近這些時日,,鮮有顧客光顧他的床墊生意。
“經濟肯定會變好的,?!鄙5滤拐f,“說實話,,我覺得最糟糕的時刻已經過去了。但這并不意味著它不會冷不丁地再次脫軌,?!保ㄘ敻恢形木W)
譯者:任文科
相較于疫情爆發(fā)初期的信心最低點,美國人對經濟前景的看法已經有所改觀,。但一項新民調顯示,,在美國經濟深陷史上最嚴重的衰退之際,民主黨人和共和黨人似乎生活在不同的經濟現(xiàn)實中,。
在一項由美聯(lián)社與NORC公共事務研究中心聯(lián)合進行的新調查中,,85%的民主黨人認為經濟狀況“糟糕”,而65%的共和黨人則認為經濟狀況“很好”,。
2020年總統(tǒng)大選前美國社會兩極分化之嚴重,,由此可見一斑。根據這項調查反映的一系列指標顯示,,美國經濟依舊疲弱,,但正在走向復蘇。
“經濟很糟糕,,但正在迅速改善,。”曾任奧巴馬政府首席經濟學家的哈佛大學教授杰森·弗曼說道,,“美國人對經濟現(xiàn)狀的解釋迥然不同,,具體的看法取決于你問的人屬于兩大黨派中的哪一個?!?/font>
美國人既能看到希望的曙光,,也可以發(fā)現(xiàn)質疑的理由。他們面臨著一系列不確定因素,,其中包括新冠疫情的發(fā)展軌跡,、客戶流失后小企業(yè)的命運,以及政府再施援手的可能性,。
總體而言,,63%的美國人認為經濟狀況不佳,較5月的70%有所下降,。這一變化在很大程度上拜日益樂觀的共和黨人所賜——就在一個月前,,僅有43%的共和黨人認為經濟狀況良好?,F(xiàn)在,三分之二的共和黨人預計經濟明年會變好,,而持此觀點的民主黨人僅占29%,。
現(xiàn)年78歲的西爾瑪·羅斯來自密蘇里州格蘭比市。她認為,,如果特朗普總統(tǒng)能擊敗民主黨挑戰(zhàn)者,、前副總統(tǒng)喬·拜登,美國經濟就會復蘇,。
“我認為,,要是我們選對了總統(tǒng),經濟就會好起來的,,而且會比以往任何時候都更加強大,。”羅斯說,,“特朗普總統(tǒng)畢竟是商人出身,。”
然而,,在非洲裔美國人喬治·弗洛伊德慘遭明尼阿波利斯市警察殺害之后,,抗議浪潮席卷全美,要求拆除南方邦聯(lián)和克里斯托弗·哥倫布紀念雕像的呼聲日益高漲,。這一切讓她倍感憂慮,。羅斯認為,分裂對經濟復蘇有百害而無一利,。
羅斯在談到特朗普時說:“我祈禱那個人獲得神賜予的靈感和指導,,因為他現(xiàn)在很需要這些?!?/font>
這項調查發(fā)現(xiàn),,與白人相比,非洲裔和拉美裔美國人更有可能說,,家里有人失去了工作或其他收入,。隨著弗洛伊德之死引發(fā)的全美反警察暴行抗議活動仍在蔓延,這種不平等讓世人對結構性種族主義有了更深入的認知,。
總的來說,,66%的拉美裔和53%的非洲裔美國人表示,他們經歷過某種形式的家庭收入損失,,包括裁員,、無薪休假、工時或薪水削減,。42%的白人有類似經歷,。34%的拉美裔,,29%的非洲裔和20%的白人說有家人失去了工作。
有跡象表明,,其中一些裁員正在變成永久性的,。在所有經歷過家人失業(yè)的受訪者中,有55%的人認為他們肯定或可能會重返工作崗位,,有8%的人已經復工,。不過,還有36%的人很可能無法重新上崗,,這一比例遠高于4月的20%,。
今年3月和4月,隨著人們?yōu)樽柚挂咔槁佣阍诩?,經濟墜入深淵,,失業(yè)率飆升到至少14.7%,。對政府調查的回應顯示,,實際失業(yè)率可能更高。到5月時,,經濟終于顯露復蘇跡象,。社會消費品零售總額激增17.7%,新增就業(yè)崗位250萬個,。失業(yè)率降至13.3%,,但這仍然是1948年以來有記錄的第二高失業(yè)率。
54歲的利亞·埃弗里失去了在達拉斯郊區(qū)駕駛校車的工作,。她每天都會查看電子郵件,,尋求了解學校的復課計劃。一個月前,,她申請了失業(yè)救濟金,,但時至今日,她的申請還在審查中,。
“我們每天都在為支付賬單而掙扎,,我知道其他人也在經歷同樣的事情?!彼f,。
埃弗里承受的壓力不止是失業(yè)。她的姑姑前不久死于新冠肺炎,,她還需要照顧年邁的母親,,以及每周有三天需要去醫(yī)院透析的丈夫。她說,,這是一份沒有報酬的全職工作,。
“我只有閑下來時才有空哭泣,。”她說,,“你不知道明天還會發(fā)生什么事情,。”
近3萬億美元獲準撥付的聯(lián)邦救助金,,讓許多人免于遭受經濟衰退的痛苦,。大約三分之二的美國人仍然認為,他們的個人財務狀況良好,。
一個跨黨派經濟學家團體提議聯(lián)邦政府再增加1萬億至2萬億美元的援助資金,,以維持經濟復蘇,其中包括為州和地方政府提供定向資金,,為小企業(yè)提供補貼貸款,,加大失業(yè)救濟力度,為低收入工人提供援助等等,。
“這應該被視為一種對經濟的投資,。”參與領導這項工作的馬里蘭大學經濟學教授梅麗莎·科爾尼說,。這些提議基于扎實的經濟理念,,以往的證據表明,此舉將促進經濟增長,,并為仍處于早期和脆弱階段的復蘇提供新動力,。
在南阿拉巴馬大學學習之余,20歲的布羅克斯頓·桑德斯一直在賣床墊,。今年上大三的他主修政治學,,是一位很被看好的年輕人。他希望將來能掌管一家退伍軍人醫(yī)院,。桑德斯注意到,,每逢陣亡將士紀念日的周末,床墊銷量就會出現(xiàn)一定漲幅,。但最近這些時日,,鮮有顧客光顧他的床墊生意。
“經濟肯定會變好的,?!鄙5滤拐f,“說實話,,我覺得最糟糕的時刻已經過去了,。但這并不意味著它不會冷不丁地再次脫軌?!保ㄘ敻恢形木W)
譯者:任文科
Americans' outlook on the national economy has improved somewhat from its lowest points during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, but a new poll suggests Democrats and Republicans are living in alternate economic realities amid the sharpest recession in the nation’s history.
Eighty-five percent of Democrats call economic conditions “poor,” while 65% of Republicans describe them as “good” in a new survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
This divide reflects the deep polarization ahead of the 2020 presidential election, as well as a series of indicators that point toward a weakened but recovering U.S. economy.
“The economy is in terrible shape and improving rapidly,” said Harvard University professor Jason Furman, formerly the top economist in the Obama White House. “Depending on which of the two halves you’re looking at, you’re going to have a very different interpretation of where we are.”
Americans can see reasons for hope as well as doubt. They face a host of uncertainties about the path of COVID-19, the fate of small businesses with fewer customers and the status of additional government aid.
Overall, 63% of the country says the economy is in poor shape, down somewhat from the 70% who felt that way in May. The change was driven by increasingly optimistic Republicans, only 43% of whom described the economy as good a month ago. Two-thirds of Republicans, but just 29% of Democrats, expect improvement over the next year.
Thelma Ross, 78, of Granby, Missouri, believes the economy will recover if President Donald Trump can defeat Democratic challenger Joe Biden, the former vice president.
“I think it’s going to come back, stronger than ever, if we get the right president in,” Ross said. “President Trump is a businessman.”
Yet she is concerned by the protests after Minneapolis police killed George Floyd, an African American, and the calls to remove statues that celebrate the Confederacy and Christopher Columbus. Ross views division as harmful for any economic recovery.
Ross said of Trump: “I pray for divine revelation and divine guidance for that man because he needs that right now.”
The survey finds that African Americans and Hispanics are more likely than white Americans to say someone in their household has lost a job or other income. That inequality has added to the broader reckoning with structural racism amid nationwide protests over police brutality following Floyd's death.
Overall, 66% of Hispanic Americans and 53% of Black Americans say they’ve experienced some form of household income loss, including layoffs, unpaid time off and cuts in hours or pay. Forty-two percent of white Americans say the same. Thirty-four percent of Hispanics, 29% of African Americans and 20% of white Americans said someone in their household has been laid off.
The poll finds signs that some of those layoffs are becoming permanent. Among all those who experienced a layoff in their household, 55% say the job definitely or probably will return — and 8% say it already has. Still, 36% said the job will most likely not come back, which is significantly higher than the 20% who said that in April.
The economy cratered in March and April as people sheltered in place in hopes of stopping the pandemic, and the unemployment rate spiked to at least 14.7%. Responses to government surveys suggested the true jobless rate may have been even higher. But it showed signs of reviving in May. Retail sales surged 17.7%, and 2.5 million jobs were added. The unemployment rate improved to 13.3%, a number that is still the second highest reading in records going back to 1948.
Leah Avery, 54, lost her job driving a school bus in suburban Dallas. She said she checks her email daily to find out how schools will reopen. She applied for unemployment benefits a month ago, but the request has been under review.
“It’s a struggle day by day for us to pay our bills, and I know others are going through the same thing,” she said.
The job loss has only added to her stress. Her aunt died from COVID-19, and she needs to take care of her elderly mother and her husband, who has dialysis appointments three days a week. It’s a full-time job with no pay, she said.
“I just have these moments where it makes me cry," she said. “You don’t know this day from the next day what is going to happen.”
The nearly $3 trillion in approved federal aid has shielded many people from the pain of the downturn. About two-thirds of Americans still call their personal financial situations good.
A bipartisan group of economists proposed an additional $1 trillion to $2 trillion of aid to sustain any recovery, including targeted funds for state and local governments, subsidized loans for small businesses, more generous unemployment benefits and aid for low-wage workers.
“It should be thought of as an investment in the economy,” said Melissa Kearney, a University of Maryland economics professor who helped lead the effort. The proposals are based on ideas shown to boost growth and provide traction for a recovery that is still in its early and fragile stages.
Broxton Sanders, 20, has been selling mattresses while on break from studies at the University of South Alabama. He’s a rising junior majoring in political science, and he would like to one day oversee a hospital for military veterans. He noticed that mattress sales picked up during Memorial Day weekend, but there are days now with few, if any, shoppers.
“The economy definitely could be better,” Sanders said. “I’ll be honest, I think we’ve seen the worst of it. But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t fall off kilter at any second.”