Economy & Work

data essayMar 25, 2026

Ahead of the nation’s birthday, Pew Research Center identified some prominent trends across key areas of American life: demographics, work, family and economics.

Related: How Americans view racial diversity ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary

short readApr 6, 2026

short readApr 1, 2026

President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs at the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 2, 2025. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

short readMar 13, 2026

Job seekers wait in line to enter a job fair event in Silver Spring, Maryland, on April 16, 2025. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

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short readsAug 28, 2013

King’s “I have a dream” speech, by the numbers

Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech 50 years ago today on Washington D.C.’s National Mall and Memorial Parks has become one of the most famous, and quoted, pieces of oratory in U.S. history (though that wasn’t apparent to everyone at the time). But how well have the aspirations King so memorably expressed been realized? We ran […]
short readsAug 28, 2013

Did you check your inbox while on vacation? Americans are divided on answer

Nearly half of American workers said they preferred to let their email pile up while on vacation and dig out when they got back; 42% kept up with mail every day.
short readsAug 27, 2013

Are blacks as financially well off as whites? Depends on whom you ask

Despite large and persistent gaps between blacks and whites on virtually every indicator of economic well-being, about half of all whites say the average black person is about as well off financially or doing better than the average white person, according to a survey released last week by the Pew Research Center.
reportAug 22, 2013

King’s Dream Remains an Elusive Goal; Many Americans See Racial Disparities

Five decades after Martin Luther King’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C., a new survey by the Pew Research Center finds that fewer than half (45%) of all Americans say the country has made substantial progress toward racial equality and about the same share (49%) say that “a lot more” remains to be done.
short readsAug 21, 2013

Black unemployment rate is consistently twice that of whites

Much has changed for African-Americans since the 1963 March on Washington (which, recall, was a march for “Jobs and Freedom”), but one thing hasn’t: The unemployment rate among blacks is still about double that among whites, as it has been for most of the past six decades.
short readsAug 19, 2013

Mothers and work: What’s ’ideal’?

For most American mothers, part-time work would be their ideal work situation, preferred over full-time work or not working at all outside the home.
short readsAug 19, 2013

Public social expenditures falling in most countries but still above pre-crisis levels

New economic figures from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development showed an increase in public spending among developed countries during the global financial crisis, but a survey of European nations indicated publics were now looking to ratchet it down.
short readsAug 16, 2013

China’s economic influence in Asia doesn’t always lead to positive feelings

Although China’s trade ties with and economic influence on its Asian and Pacific Rim neighbors are greater than ever, that’s doesn’t automatically translate into warmer feelings toward the People’s Republic among publics in the region.
short readsAug 15, 2013

Inflation: Low by the numbers, but still a big public concern

About eight-in-ten Americans think rising prices are a “very” or “moderately” big problem.
short readsAug 14, 2013

Economic impact of back-to-school shopping a matter of debate

August is prime season for buying back-to-school gear. But how much all that shopping adds to the economy is unclear.

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Economy & Work

The United States at 250: How the Country Has Changed in the Past 50 Years

Top tax frustrations for Americans: Feeling that some wealthy people, corporations don’t pay fair share

How Americans view Trump’s handling of trade and tariffs

Federal workforce shrank 10% in Trump’s first year back in office

Economy & Work

Did you check your inbox while on vacation? Americans are divided on answer

Are blacks as financially well off as whites? Depends on whom you ask

Public social expenditures falling in most countries but still above pre-crisis levels

China’s economic influence in Asia doesn’t always lead to positive feelings

Inflation: Low by the numbers, but still a big public concern

Economic impact of back-to-school shopping a matter of debate

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