76 Percent Know Someone Out of Work and Looking For a Job

Three-quarters (76%) of American adults know someone who is out of work and looking for a job, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. But that's a slight improvement from August when 81% knew someone in that situation.

African-Americans are slightly less likely than whites and adults of other ethnicities to know someone out of work and searching for employment, but the numbers are high across virtually all demographic groups. (To see question wording, click here.)

Just 19% say the job market is getting better, but 42% say it's getting worse. But that, too, is a slight improvement from the previous survey. Thirty-eight percent (38%) say the job market is staying about the same