America’s No. 1 Problem Is Unemployment: Gallup Poll

Politicians are no longer America’s main concern. According to a new poll from Gallup, the nation’s No. 1 problem is unemployment and jobs.

Before last fall, and dating back to as far as February 2008, the economy and jobs had been equally considered the country's “most important problem.” That shifted last October, when the 16-day government shutdown made the federal government and politicians the top-rankers among Americans' concerns. However, when Gallup surveyed 1,023 adults between Feb. 6 and Feb. 9, it found that nearly one in four (23 percent) Americans believe unemployment and jobs are the most important issues currently facing the nation. The economy came second with 20 percent, followed closely by dissatisfaction with the government, Congress and politicians.

At the party level, researchers found that the three most important problems for those who identified as Democrats were unemployment (24 percent), economy (17 percent) and the government (17 percent). Among Republicans, the concerns are similiar with unemployment at 24 percent and the economy at 22 percent, but health care is third, with 18 percent. Independents said unemployment (24 percent), the economy (21 percent) and the government (21 percent) are their top concerns.

The U.S. government said 113,000 jobs were added in January and the unemployment rate decreased to 6.6 percent.