8/23: Acting Most Popular “Dream Job” Among Americans

If Americans could ignore the daily grind of the work day and do a job relatively few people get to do, which profession would they call their “dream job?”  Nearly one-third of U.S. residents — 32% — say they would like to be an actor or an actress.  Following closely behind are 29% who dream of becoming a professional athlete.  13% report they would like to list 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as their working address and be President of the United States.  An additional 13% say they could see themselves as a rock star.  13% are unsure.

Those in the Northeast and South are among those most likely to want to take to the stage or screen.  Acting is also the most popular dream job among those who earn less than $50,000 annually, Americans 18 to 29, those 45 to 59, and women.

Professional sports top the list for those in the Midwest and West, Americans who make $50,000 or more a year, residents 30 to 44, those 60 and older, and men.

Table: Dream Job

Marist Poll Methodology

7/9: 77% of NYS Voters Know Someone Who’s Lost Job

In a poll that suggests the vast repercussions of the economic crisis, 77% of New York State registered voters say they personally know someone who has lost their job in the last 6 months.

More voters in New York City and in the suburbs say they know someone who has lost his/her job during that timeframe.  82% of city voters and 79% of those in the suburbs report this to be the case.  This compares with 74% Upstate.

Slight differences are also apparent among income groups.  82% of people with an income of $100,000 or more say they know someone who’s joined the ranks of the unemployed in the last half-year, while 77% of those making between $50,000 and $99,999 and 74% of those making less than $50,000 say the same.

Table: Personally Know Someone Who Lost a Job

Social Networking and Job Loss…Potential Pitfall?

Social networking may be getting a lot of hype, but it hasn’t yet seduced a majority of New York voters.  Only 31% say they personally have a profile on a social networking website such as MySpace or Facebook.

Those who do have a profile divide over whether it’s wise for someone to use a social networking site to tell everyone they have lost their job.  49% say they’re more likely to describe someone who does so as “smart,” but 41% say they’re more likely to call that person, “desperate.”  10% are unsure.

Educational background affects one’s stance on this issue.  55% of college graduates say “smart” compared with 41% of those who aren’t college graduates.

Overall, who is more likely to utilize social networking sites?  Voters with higher incomes are more likely to join these online networks.  42% of those making $100,000 or more have a profile, compared with 32% of those with incomes between $50,000 and $99,999 and only 27% of those making less than $50,000.

Not surprisingly, younger voters are more likely to jump on the social networking bandwagon.  54% of those under 45 have a profile, while only 19% of those over 45 have one.  On the question of whether they’d call a person who announces their unemployment as “smart” or “desperate,” those under 45 divide while a majority of those 45 and older consider it to be a smart move.

And, social networking has taken the 18-to-29 age group by storm: a whopping 74% of those Web users have a profile on MySpace, Facebook and their ilk.

Table: Do You, Personally, Have a Social Networking Profile?
Table: Announcing Unemployment Online

Marist Poll Methodology

Related Stories:

7/9: Most NYS Voters Expect Economic Recovery to Take Time

4/22: Nearly 1 in 4 Anticipate Job Loss

Nearly 1 in 4 employed Americans — 22% — believe it’s likely they will join the ranks of the unemployed or have their hours cut this year.  Among those who are most fearful are women.  26% of women in the workforce believe there is a good chance they will be laid off while 19% of men think it’s likely they will get a pink slip this year.

Where Americans work makes a difference. Employees in the Northeast are least concerned about their future employment status.  Just 10% of those residents think it’s either very likely or likely that they will lose their job this year while 27% of those in the Midwest, 25% in the West, and 24% in the South share this concern.

Table: Are you likely to lose your job?

How Long Will It Take to Find a New Job?

Should they lose their job this year, many employed Americans think it will take some time before they will be back to work.  Only 38% of workers think they would be able to find a comparable job with similar pay within three months of losing their current job.

Not surprisingly, older co-workers nationwide are less optimistic about their job prospects than are their younger colleagues.  Only, three in ten workers 45 and older believe they would find a new position within three months compared with 45% of those younger than 45.  One-third of workers 45 and older believe it would take at least a year to find a comparable position should they lose their current job.

Table: How long will it take to find a new job?

Marist Poll Methodology

Related Links:

Unemployment Insurance

Finding a Job

Career One Stop

Monster

Indeed

Yahoo! Hot Jobs

Career Builder

Linked in

How To Find a Job During a Recession

Teaching No ‘Fallback’ Career

New York Labor Market