Three-Quarters of Americans Give President Obama Negative Ratings on His Handling of Jobs

Majorities also give the President negative marks on his handling of healthcare, the environment, unrest in the Middle East and education

NEW YORK, June 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — President Obama has seen his overall job rating drop this month as well as his rating on how he is handling the economy. And, when looking at some other specific issues, the downward trend continues. In February of this year, just three in ten Americans (29%) gave President Obama positive ratings on his handling of jobs. Now one-quarter do (24%) while almost half (46%) give the President a rating of poor, The Harris Poll’s lowest rating.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,163 adults surveyed online between June 13 and 20, 2011 by Harris Interactive.

Three in five Americans give the President negative ratings on his handling of education (61%) and healthcare (63%) while just 34% give him positive ratings on both areas. In February, just under two in five U.S. adults gave the President positive marks on education (39%) and healthcare (37%). On the environment, over half (56%) give President Obama negative ratings while 37% give him positive ratings and on his handling of the unrest in the Middle East, 57% give him negative marks and 38% give him positive ratings. In February, two in five Americans gave the President positive ratings on his handling of both the unrest in the Middle East (39%) and the environment (41%).

Partisan support

Among Republicans, the President’s best numbers are on his handling of the environment where 13% give him positive ratings. For Democrats, three in five or more give him positive ratings on his handling of the unrest in the Middle East (65%), the environment (63%), healthcare (63%), and education (60%). But only two in five Democrats (42%) give the President positive ratings on how he is handling the issue of jobs.

Independents, who typically decide elections, are not happy with the President’s handling of these issues. Only one-third (34%) give him positive ratings on how he has handled the unrest in the Middle East while three in ten give him positive ratings in his handling of the environment (31%), healthcare (31%) and education (30%). The lowest rating is on his handling of jobs where just 19% of Independents give President Obama positive marks.

So What?

Foreign policy wins are nice for a president as are winning on big domestic issues such as healthcare or the environment. But these are not things Americans typically vote on come Election Day. Come November, what people tend to think about is how they feel, compared to the same time 4 years previously. As Ronald Reagan once asked, “Are you better than you were four years ago?” President Obama has a little over a year before the answer to that question really matters but if it were asked now, based on how they see his handling of a key issue such as jobs, Americans may say no and vote accordingly.