As COVID-19 cases have surged in the United States, young adults face a weakening labor market and an uncertain educational outlook. Between February and June 2020, the share of young adults who are neither enrolled in school nor employed – a measure some refer to as the “disconnection rate” – has more than doubled, according to a new analysis of Census Bureau data by Pew Research Center. Most of the increase is related to job loss among young workers.

Read more in our blog post: Amid coronavirus outbreak, nearly three-in-ten young people are neither working nor in school

What is the connection between belief in God and morality? And how important are God and prayer in people’s lives? Pew Research Center posed these questions to 38,426 people in 34 countries in 2019.

Across the 34 countries, which span six continents, a median of 45% say it is necessary to believe in God to be moral and have good values. But there are large regional variations in answers to this question.

Read more in our report: The Global God Divide

65% of Americans say the option to vote early or absentee should be available to any voter without requiring a documented reason, while a third say early and absentee voting should only be allowed with a reason, according to a survey conducted June 16-22.

Read more in our blog post: As COVID-19 cases increase, most Americans support ‘no excuse’ absentee voting

Many of the values of the feminist movement have been accepted across the political spectrum in the United States, even among Americans who don’t personally identify as feminists, according to a survey about gender equality that comes 100 years after the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

Read more in our blog post: Most Americans support gender equality, even if they don’t identify as feminists

From global protests against racial injustice to the 2020 election, here is how some Americans who use social media are taking to these platforms to mobilize others and show their support for causes or issues. 

Read more in our blog post: Activism on social media varies by race and ethnicity, age, political party

70% of Americans say the core strategies for containing the coronavirus are well understood, even though research studies have yielded conflicting advice. A far smaller share (28%) says it’s difficult to know how best to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to a survey conducted April 29-May 5.

Read more in our blog post: Most Americans say despite ongoing research, ways to limit spread of COVID-19 are well understood

While declining shares give police forces positive marks for their use of force, treatment of racial groups and officer accountability, there is little support for cuts in spending on local policing.

Read more in our report: Majority of Public Favors Giving Civilians the Power to Sue Police Officers for Misconduct

pewinternet:

Experts Predict More Digital Innovation by 2030 Aimed at Enhancing Democracy

A majority of experts canvassed say significant reforms aimed at correcting problems in democratic institutions and representation will take place. But they are divided about whether this will lead to positive outcomes for the public.

Nearly half of U.S. adults (46%) named local news outlets as a major source for COVID-19 news – more than the share who named several other groups, including President Donald Trump and the coronavirus task force (31%), according to an April survey. 

Read more in our column: Local news is playing an important role for Americans during COVID-19 outbreak

The coronavirus outbreak continues to have far-reaching health and economic consequences for the American public. But for many, especially Black and Asian Americans, the effects extend beyond medical and financial concerns. About four-in-ten Black and Asian adults say people have acted as if they were uncomfortable around them because of their race or ethnicity since the beginning of the outbreak, and similar shares say they worry that other people might be suspicious of them if they wear a mask when out in public, according to a new survey.

Read more in our report: Many Black and Asian Americans Say They Have Experienced Discrimination Amid the COVID-19 Outbreak

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, borders around the world have been sealed, presenting challenges for international migrants and asylum seekers. And the virus appears to be fueling the flames of existing ethnic and religious cleavages. But results of a survey conducted in late 2018 in 11 emerging economies highlights that, even prior to the novel coronavirus outbreak, many countries were grappling with the challenges that changing demographics and diversity bring to their countries – both via immigration and because of existing religious and ethnic cleavages.

Read more in our report: Attitudes Toward Diversity in 11 Emerging Economies

At a time when partisanship colors most views of policy, broad majorities of the public – including more than half of Republicans and overwhelming shares of Democrats – say they would favor a range of initiatives to reduce the impacts of climate change.

Read more in our report: Two-Thirds of Americans Think Government Should Do More on Climate

Public health authorities have emphasized the importance of wearing masks inside stores or other enclosed spaces as a precaution against COVID-19. A majority of Americans report they have followed this guidance all or most of the time in the past month; fewer say all or most of the people in their communities are wearing masks in similar settings.

Read more in our blog post: Most Americans say they regularly wore a mask in stores in the past month; fewer see others doing it

Large-scale protests and rallies for racial equality have captured public attention and amplified calls for policy reforms in recent weeks. Some 6% of U.S. adults say they have attended a protest or rally that focused on issues related to race or racial equality in the last month, and those who have are more likely to be nonwhite and younger than Americans overall, according to a recent survey.

Read more in our blog post: Recent protest attendees are more racially and ethnically diverse, younger than Americans overall

About three-quarters of U.S. adults say they favor granting permanent legal status to immigrants who came illegally to the United States when they were children, with the strongest support coming from Democrats and Hispanics, according to a survey conducted June 4-10, 2020.

Read more in our blog post: Americans broadly support legal status for immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children