Fewer Americans Thankful for U.S. Economic Situation Than in the '80s. But They All Love Their Leftovers. The percentage of adults thankful for the economic situation in the U.S. is lower than in 2010 and about a fifth of what it was in the mid-1980s, according to a new poll.
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In comparison to many countries around the world, the U.S. economy is stable. But as Americans gather around their turkey dinners next week, not many of them will be giving thanks for the state of the economy.
A new poll from market research firm Harris Interactive finds that 17 percent of adults are thankful for the nation's economic situation in 2013, up slightly from 14 percent in 2011 but down from 23 percent in 2010. Data from 2012 was not immediately available.
The percentage of adults thankful for the economic situation in the U.S. is about a fifth of what it was in 1984, when 78 percent of adults said they were thankful for the state of the U.S. economy. It's important to note that, in 1984, the U.S. had just emerged from a painful recession that had begun in 1980.
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Harris polled almost 2,400 adults between Oct. 16 and 21 for the report, which was released this week.
While not many adults are thankful for the state of the national economy this year, a much greater portion of Americans are thankful for their own financial state. More than six in 10 adults say they are thankful for their own personal economic situation, down from eight in 10 in 1980.
While Americans are pretty bummed out about the economy this Thanksgiving, they are excited to fill up on turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie. Four in 10 survey respondents get the most excited for turkey, two crave stuffing the most and a bit more than one in 10 hanker for pumpkin pie more than any other Thanksgiving treat.
While excitement is fairly split about what is the best, most exciting dish at the main dinner event, there is a healthy consensus that leftovers are where the magic happens. Two-thirds of survey respondents say leftovers are more important than Thanksgiving dinner.
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