Public fears about U.S. economy growing

As the economy continues to struggle, the public is growing increasingly concerned about losing jobs, not having enough money to pay the bills and seeing their retirement accounts shrink, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll. Nearly half of those surveyed said they worry about becoming unemployed—almost double the percentage at this time last year. The poll, which was released Wednesday, also found public support dipped slightly in the past month for the $787 billion package of tax cuts and government spending President Barack Obama signed into law this week on the promise that it will save or create 3.5 million jobs and re-ignite the economy. Nearly half of those questioned, 47%, worry at least somewhat about losing a job, up from 28 percent in February 2008. Nearly three-fourths, or 71%, say they know someone—a friend or a relative—who has lost a job in the past six months because of the economy. Fear of being thrown out of work is so widespread that equal percentages of higher- and lower-income workers, 47%, worry about losing their jobs. Last year, only 20% of those earning $50,000 or more annually worried about joblessness, as did 35% of those earning less than that.