Americans concerned about jobs and finances — not 'terrorism,' poll shows

The threat of joblessness tops the list of concerns facing American households, according to a new Al Jazeera America/Monmouth University Poll. When asked to describe the biggest concern facing their family, 16 percent of poll respondents said either job security or unemployment. The second most-cited concern was health care costs, followed by everyday bills.

Just 1 percent of all respondents cited immigration or terrorism as their primary concerns.

Although the economy has improved since the 2008 Great Recession and unemployment has declined to 5.6 percent, wages for most workers remain as stagnant as they have been for decades. The results of the Al Jazeera America/Monmouth University Poll suggest that many Americans still feel deep anxiety over their job prospects and the state of their finances.

Among people earning less than $25,000 per year, everyday bills such as rent, utilities and phone bills were by far the biggest concern. Twenty-six percent of respondents in the lower income bracket cited bills as their foremost issue.

The Al Jazeera America/Monmouth University Poll was conducted by telephone from Jan. 13 to 15, 2015 with 1,003 adults in the United States. This sample has a margin of error of + 3.1 percent.