American voters have an unhappy view about the job market and general state of the economy. Conversations online boil down to two indicators:
Distrust in the economic reporting
How the government spends money
Americans remain skeptical about the job reports, with claims that half of the jobs are "fake" and the other half being government jobs. They also express concern about the lack of new jobs for native-born Americans since 2018. This sentiment could be indicative of wider concerns about unemployment, underemployment, and the overall health of the job market.
Online conversations support this a pattern of the top discussions:
Concerns about job security and employment prospects, especially for native-born Americans
Doubts about the accuracy and reliability of government-provided statistics
Belief in the recovery and stabilization of the labor market
General interest in economic matters, with specific focus on employment rates and the health of the job market
The broader context of political discourse, with jobs and the economy being key issues in political campaigns and policy-making
Bipartisan Disapproval
Democrats' comments seem to focus more on dissatisfaction with the current tax system, advocating for reform and suggesting that wealthy individuals and large corporations are not paying their fair share. They also express concerns about how tax money is being spent, particularly with regard to funding wars.
Republicans' comments reveal a similar dissatisfaction with the tax system, but from a different angle. They mention the burden of taxes on the middle class and business owners, and they express frustration with how tax money is spent. They also seem to be against high taxes and are more likely to suggest tax cuts or reforms that reduce taxes.
Independents' comments are a mix of the above. They express frustration with the complexity of the tax system, the perceived unfairness of the distribution of tax burdens, and the misuse of tax money. They also discuss the impact of taxes on various groups, including the homeless and the self-employed. Some Independents seem open to both tax hikes for the wealthy and tax cuts for middle-income earners and businesses.
Media Narrative Support
Online conversations appear to be sustained by assistance from traditional approaches; online discussions peaked on Jan 10, Jan 18, Jan 25, Feb.
Jan 10: several articles about Biden adding 14 million jobs
Jan 18: Biden tweets about adding 14 million jobs
Jan 25: several articles and Nancy Pelosi tweet about adding 14 million jobs
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