Overview

• Roughly 69–70% of U.S. adults say hard work no longer guarantees getting ahead or never did, the highest share in nearly 15 years of similar surveys.
• Only about 25% believe they have a good chance to improve their standard of living, a record low in polling dating to 1987.
• Economic outlook remains sour: 45% expect conditions to worsen over the next year, and 56% rate the economy as poor or not so good, even as 44% call it excellent or good.
• Housing confidence is weak, with just 23% very confident they could buy a home and most saying it is harder to purchase than it was for prior generations.
• Rising prices are biting, as 28% report major financial strain, and analysts highlight especially sharp declines in optimism among younger adults.