The United States at 250: How the Country Has Changed in the Past 50 Years
Ahead of the nation’s birthday, Pew Research Center identified some prominent trends across key areas of American life: demographics, work, family and economics.
Economy & Work
A Year Into Trump’s Second Term, Americans’ Views of the Economy Remain Negative
Most Americans continue to hold negative views of the U.S. economy, as has been the case for the last six years.
About 1 in 5 U.S. workers now use AI in their job, up since last year
Workers younger than 50 and workers with a bachelor’s degree or more education are among the most likely to use AI in their job.
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China’s government may be communist, but its people embrace capitalism
China’s incredible economic expansion has led the Chinese to be overwhelmingly happy with their economic situation and optimistic about their future, but there are underlying complaints about inflation, inequality and corruption.
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What the world thinks about economic opportunity and inequality
People in emerging and developing nations are optimistic about the financial future of their children. It’s a different story in richer nations, where most believe prospects for the next generation are grim.
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Emerging and Developing Economies Much More Optimistic than Rich Countries about the Future
As they continue to struggle with the effects of the Great Recession, most people in advanced economies are pessimistic about the financial prospects of the next generation. In contrast, emerging and developing nations are more optimistic that the next generation will have a higher standard of living.
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The Changing Profile of Student Borrowers
In 2012, a record 69% of the nation’s new college graduates had taken out student loans to finance their education. Graduates from more affluent families are much more likely to borrow today than 20 years ago.
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Faith and Skepticism about Trade, Foreign Investment
Developing countries provide the strongest support for international trade and foreign investment, while people in many advanced economies are skeptical. Americans are among the least likely to hold a positive view of the impact of trade on jobs and wages.
