Tables

Table 1

Question:

Better

Same

Worse

Unsure

Would you say you and your family living there are better off or worse off financially than you were a year ago?

2005

37%

31%

31%

2%

2004

36% 32% 30% 2%
2003 29% 31% 39% 1%

Now looking ahead--do you think that a year from now you (and your family living there) will be better off financially, or worse off?

2005 52% 17% 19% 12%
2004 55% 19% 15% 11%
2003 48% 20% 22% 11%

Would you say that at the present time business conditions in New Jersey are better or worse than they were a year ago?

2005

36%

15%

37%

12%

2004

33%

14% 43% 11%
2003 15% 10% 68% 7%

And how about a year from now--do you expect during the next 12 months business conditions in New Jersey will be better or worse than they are at present?

2005

52%

11%

21%

16%

2004 56% 10% 21%  13%
2003 43% 11% 34% 12%

Table 2

Question:

In the past year (2004) did you…?

In the next 12 months, do you expect to…?

In the past year (2003) did you …?

In the next 12 months, do you expect to… ?

 

January 2005

January 2004

[ROTATE LIST]

Yes

No

Not Sure

Yes

No

Not Sure

Yes

No

Not Sure

Yes

No

Not Sure

Buy or lease a car

32

68

0

21

75

4

29

70

0

21

76

3

Purchase stocks or other types of investments outside your pension plan

 

31

 

67

 

2

 

36

 

57

 

7

 

28

 

71

 

1

 

34

 

61

 

5

Buy a major home appliance

38

62

0

28

67

5

35

65

1

28

67

5

Make a major home improvement or repair over $1000

 

41

 

58

 

1

 

38

 

58

 

4

 

39

 

60

 

1

 

40

 

56

 

4

Purchase an airline ticket for a pleasure trip

45

55

0

52

43

5

41

59

0

54

40

6

Go away on vacation for a week or more

58

42

0

69

26

5

58

42

0

72

24

4

Buy a computer

32

68

0

18

79

4

26

74

0

22

74

4

Refinance your house or take a home equity loan

20

79

1

7

89

3

25

74

0

9

89

3

Buy or build a house

7

93

0

9

89

2

10

90

0

10

88

2

Visit an Atlantic City casino

36

64

0

39

57

4

33

67

0

37

58

5

Increase the unpaid balance on your credit card

 

29

 

68

 

3

 

10

 

86

 

4

 

26

 

69

 

3

 

11

 

84

 

4

Table 3

Question: Now thinking about the outstanding balance on your credit cards-- how difficult is it to make payments on the balances? Would you say it is...

 

2005

2004

2003

Very Difficult

6%

9%

8%

Somewhat Difficult

19%

16%

16%

Not Very Difficult

19%

17%

22%

Not At All Difficult

40%

39%

36%

Don’t Use/Have Credit Cards

14%

18%

18%

Unsure

2%

2%

--

Table 4   Table 5

Question: During the next 12 months, do you think that housing prices in your area will go up or go down?

Question: If you were suddenly to get an extra $1000, do you think you would

 

2005

2004

2003

 

2005

2004

Up

81%

80%

70%

Save it

36%

33%

Neither/Same

4%

11%

12%

Spend it

16%

17%

Down

10%

6%

15%

Use it to pay off bills

42%

43%

Don’t Know

5%

4%

4%

Other

3%

1%

Unsure

3%

2%

Table 6: Composite Number of All Consumer Activity (scale of 0 – 100)

Composite Number (scale of 0 – 100)

 

Gender

Party

Age

 

All

Male

Female

Dem

Ind

Rep

18-34

35-54

55-64

65+

2005 Index of (prospective) Consumer Intentions

45

48

43

44

44

50

50

48

43

41

2005 Index of (the past year’s) Consumer Performance

43

47

41

41

42

48

44

47

42

38

2004 Index of (prospective) Consumer Intentions

42

44

40

44

47

53

52

49

45

40

2004 Index of (the past year’s) Consumer Performance

41

44

39

37

42

49

42

43

42

35

2003 Index of (prospective) Consumer Intentions

42

44

40

40

37

47

       

2003 Index of (the past year’s) Consumer Performance

33

34

31

32

29

37

       

Table 7

Question

 

Respondents who believe:

Do you think that a year from now you (and your family) will be better off financially, or worse off?

The country is on the right track

The country is on the wrong track

Unsure about the direction

Better Off

 

42%

46%

12%

Worse Off

24%

65%

11%

The Same

35%

50%

15%

Table 8

Question

 

Political Affiliation

Geographic Region

Do you think that a year from now you (and your family) will be better off financially, or worse off?

Repubs

Dems

Ind

NW

NE

Urban

Central

South

Better Off

 

59%

48%

46%

53%

41%

56%

54%

50%

Worse Off

15%

22%

23%

18%

24%

15%

20%

18%

The Same

19%

17%

14%

20%

20%

20%

14%

18%

Table 9

Question

 

Race

Do you expect during the next 12 months business conditions in NJ will be better or worse than they are at present?

White

Non-White

African

Hispanic

Better

 

51%

61%

60%

62%

Worse

21%

21%

20%

31%

The Same

12%

7%

7%

4%

Contacts:

Peter Woolley, coordinator: 973-443-8725

Radio actuality line: (201) 692-2846.

For more information, please call (201) 692-7032.

see also:

Survey Analysis
Survey Details

Copyright © 2005, Fairleigh Dickinson University. All rights reserved. FDU PublicMind Poll [Latest update 050203]