Saturday, January 12, 2013 Updated 07:00 AM ET
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Careers

Congress Begins 2013 With 14% Approval
Americans give Congress a 14% job approval rating as the new year begins, the lowest since September of last year and one point below Congress' 15% average approval for 2012, the lowest yearly average in Gallup's history.

Five of the seven U.S. presidents re-elected since World War II had lower average job approval ratings in their second than in their first term. President Obama's approval rating is now seven points higher than his 2009-2012 average.

An average of 26% of Americans said they were satisfied with the way things were going in the United States in 2012, up from 17% in 2011, but below the historical average of 38%.

Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index was -21 for the week ending Jan. 6, similar to the -22 in the week prior. Americans' confidence in the economy worsened amid the fiscal cliff debate after improving in November.

BEHAVIORAL ECONOMY: Jobs, Not Spending and Taxing, Should Be the Top Priority

THE QUEUE: U.S. Economic Release Schedule for 2013

U.S. Flu Reports in December Higher Than in Prior Years
Americans' self-reports of daily flu spiked early this season, rising in December to levels typically not seen until February. An average of 3.2% of adults said they had the flu the prior day in December, outpacing reports from past Decembers.

Inside Strategic Consulting

Combating Greece's Desperate Loss of Hope
The country's residents are the most pessimistic in the world about the direction of their lives, according to Gallup. Here's what leaders can do.

THE GALLUP BLOG: The School Cliff: Student Engagement Drops With Each School Year

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Editors' Pick

In U.S., Rise in Religious
The percentage of American adults who have no religious identification leveled off in 2012, after steadily increasing for four years in a row. The 17.8% of religious "nones" in 2012 is on par with 2011, but up from 14.6% in 2008.

GALLUP DAILY

Jan 9-11, 2013 – Updates daily at 1 p.m. ET; reflects one-day change

Obama Approval
53%
-1
Obama Disapproval
42%
+1
Payroll to Population
43.5%
-0.3
Underemployed
17.7%
+0.1
Unemployed
8.1%
+0.1
Job Creation Index
14
-2
Economic Confidence
-20
-
Consumer Spending
$87
-16
Thriving
51%
-
Struggling
44%
-
Suffering
4%
-1
Happiness
43%
-2
Stress
12%
-
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Interactive Features

Politics

U.S. Presidents Typically Less Popular in Second Term

Five of the seven U.S. presidents re-elected since World War II had lower average job approval ratings in their second than in their first term. President Obama's approval rating is now seven points higher than his 2009-2012 average.

U.S. Satisfaction Improved in 2012, but Still Below Average

An average of 26% of Americans said they were satisfied with the way things were going in the United States in 2012, up from 17% in 2011, but below the historical average of 38%.

In U.S., Rise in Religious "Nones" Slows in 2012

The percentage of American adults who have no religious identification leveled off in 2012, after steadily increasing for four years in a row. The 17.8% of religious "nones" in 2012 is on par with 2011, but up from 14.6% in 2008.

Economy

U.S. Consumer Spending in December Highest in Four Years

Americans' self-reported daily spending was $83 per day in December, up from $73 in November and the highest monthly average Gallup has reported since December 2008. Spending was up among higher- and lower-income Americans.

U.S. Payroll to Population Rate Improves in December

The U.S. Payroll to Population rate, as measured by Gallup, was 44.4% for the month of December, an improvement over November. Gallup's unadjusted unemployment rate was statistically unchanged at 7.7%.

U.S. Investors Want Gov't to Enhance 401(k) Accounts

Most investors want the government to take action to expand the use and flexibility of tax-advantaged accounts, such as 401(k) accounts, according to a recent Wells Fargo/Gallup Investor and Retirement Optimism Index survey.

Wellbeing

Depression Increases in Areas Superstorm Sandy Hit Hardest

Americans living in the areas most directly hit by Superstorm Sandy report a marked increase in depression, worry, and anger in the six weeks immediately following the storm, representing hundreds of thousands of affected residents.

Gallup's Top 10 World News Findings of 2012

Gallup reviews its top 10 world news findings of 2012 based on surveys conducted in more than 140 countries through the Gallup World Poll.

Gallup's Top 10 U.S. Wellbeing Discoveries in 2012

Highlights from the top 10 most compelling health and wellbeing findings from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index in 2012.

World

Labor Migration Doesn't Always Pay Off for FSU Migrants

Nearly four in 10 migrants who have returned home to their countries in the former Soviet Union said the temporary work they did abroad did not improve their families' economic situations.

Latin Americans Most Positive in the World

Latin America is home to eight of the top 10 countries for positive emotions in 2011. Panamanians and Paraguayans are the most likely worldwide to report positive emotions; Singaporeans are the least likely.

Income Biggest Barrier to Banking in Developing Countries

The richest adults in developing countries are more than twice as likely as the poorest adults to have a bank account, according to a Gallup/World Bank study. Lack of money, cost, proximity, and documentation are common barriers.

More Data & Analysis

Trends A-Z Explore all Gallup trends in one place.

WorldView Access data that represent the voice of more than 98% of the Earth's residents through a Web-based portal.

Gallup Brain The Gallup Brain is a searchable, living record of more than 70 years of public opinion.

Research Reports Gallup experts and senior scientists are continually analyzing Gallup data and sharing their findings.