Gallup: Americans’ satisfaction falls from record high last year

A restaurant was forced to close its outdoor dining area on December 7, 2020, when California implemented a new Home-proofing order.

A new survey released by polling firm Gallup shows that 82 percent of Americans are satisfied with their personal lives, down from an all-Time high of 90 percent set last January and the lowest level since 2013.

The decline in personal satisfaction comes primarily from those who are unemployed. Among those with jobs, 90 percent said they were satisfied. This is almost on par with the previous year. But only 72 percent of the unemployed said they were satisfied, a 14 percent drop from 2020.

This past year has brought significant changes to American society. Schools and offices across the United States were closed due to the Communist Chinese virus (COVID-19) pandemic. Restrictions vary from state to state, but many governors have imposed strict regulations that have led to the closure of tens of thousands of businesses. Students struggled to cope with virtual learning. They stay home, hindering the work-Life balance of Parents who manage to keep their jobs.

The unemployment rate spiked to 14.7 percent last April, though it has since dropped to about 7 percent.

The study shows that people’s mental health has deteriorated due to the blockade, in addition to an increase in suicides and drug use.

Gallup notes that satisfaction is typically in the 80 percent range in its annual survey. The figure drops to below 90 percent for long periods of economic stress, such as the Great Depression.

In response to a separate question, 51 percent of Americans said they were very satisfied with the way their personal lives were going. Another 31 percent said they were somewhat satisfied. The remainder were somewhat dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.

The annual Gallup survey was conducted by telephone. This year’s survey was conducted between January 4 and 15, with a random sample of 1,023 adults aged 18 and older. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.