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Benefits November 26, 2008
The Hassle Factors
November 26, 2008 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - According to
The Harris Poll, rising prices are a major "hassle" in
Americans' daily lives - but some are feeling that stress
more than others.
Reported by Nevin E. Adams
Those hassles cause stress – and some hassles appear to cause more stress than others, as 82% of Americans have been experienced rising prices this month. That’s an eight point leap from the last Harris Poll on the topic (2006).
Additionally, while one-quarter of Americans (26%) say they have experienced a lot of stress, the Harris Poll says that geography may factor into this as fewer Midwesterners experienced “a lot” of stress than their Eastern counterparts (22% vs. 32%).
These are some of the results from The Harris Poll, a new nationwide survey of 5,210 adults, surveyed online between October 30 and November 3, 2008, by Harris Interactive.
Just under half (47%) of Americans say they have experienced trouble sleeping (47%) and have concerns about health in general (44%). Other hassles experienced in the past month by more than one-quarter of Americans include:
- not having enough money for basic necessities (35%),
- illness of a family member (29%),
- being lonely (27%), and
- having too much information to process at one time (25%).
With only two exceptions (abuse of personal privacy and problems with work) women are more likely than men to have experienced each of the daily hassles on the list.
While the three older generations (Gen X, Baby Boomers and Matures) are all more likely to say they have experienced rising prices, the youngest generation, Echo Boomers (those aged 18-31) are more likely to have experienced having too many things to do, having too much information to process and being lonely in the past month.
Perhaps not surprisingly, people with children experience more stress and more hassles in relation to money, sleeping, and having too much to do.
On each of the 14 possible hassles, Republicans are less likely to say they have experienced them than Democrats are.
Stressed Out?
- One-third of Easterners (32%) have a lot of stress in their life compared to just 22% of those who live in the Midwest;
- Gen Xers (those aged 32-43) have the most stress among the generations (33%) followed by Echo Boomers (30%) while only 12% of Matures (those aged 63+) say they have a lot of stress;
- Women are more likely to say they have a lot of stress in their life than men do (30% vs. 22%);
- Three in ten Hispanics (30%) say they have a lot of stress compared to 26% of Whites and 21% of African Americans; and,
- One-third of those with children in the household (33%) say they experience a lot of stress while just 23% of those without children say they experience a lot of stress.
This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between October 30 and November 3, 2008, among 5,210 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.
align="center">THOSE WHO EXPERIENCED 14 "HASSLES" IN THE LAST MONTH
align="center">"Have you experienced the following in the past month?"
align="center"> 2000 | align="center"> 2002 | align="center"> 2006 | align="center"> 2008 | |
align="center">% | align="center">% | align="center">% | align="center">% | |
Rising prices | align="center">77 | align="center">69 | align="center">74 | align="center">82 |
Concerns about money for emergencies | align="center">51 | align="center">51 | align="center">53 | align="center">57 |
Too many things to do | align="center">57 | align="center">62 | align="center">56 | align="center">56 |
Trouble sleeping | align="center">N/A | align="center">N/A | align="center">53 | align="center">47 |
Concerns about health in general | align="center">48 | align="center">47 | align="center">43 | align="center">44 |
Not enough money for basic necessities | align="center">33 | align="center">35 | align="center">36 | align="center">35 |
Illness of a family member | align="center">42 | align="center">37 | align="center">36 | align="center">29 |
Being lonely | align="center">18 | align="center">15 | align="center">29 | align="center">27 |
Too much information to process at one time | align="center">N/A | align="center">N/A | align="center">33 | align="center">25 |
Problems with your work, boss or fellow workers | align="center">22 | align="center">20 | align="center">24 | align="center">21 |
Frequent or excessive noise | align="center">17 | align="center">18 | align="center">20 | align="center">19 |
Problems with aging parents | align="center">22 | align="center">23 | align="center">21 | align="center">19 |
Problems with my children | align="center">N/A | align="center">N/A | align="center">19 | align="center">16 |
Abuse of your personal privacy | align="center">15 | align="center">18 | align="center">13 | align="center">15 |
Average Score (see note 3) | align="center">37 | align="center">36 | align="center">37 | align="center">37 |
1. The 2000 and 2002 surveys were conducted by telephone, while 2006 and 2008 were conducted online
2. The question asked in 2000 and 2002 was slightly different. "Please tell me if (read item) has affected you in the last month or not?"
3. Average score is based on the 11 items which were asked in all three surveys.
align="center"> THOSE WHO EXPERIENCED 14 HASSLES - BY GENERATION AND GENDER
align="center">"Have you experienced the following in the past month?"
align="center"> Those saying "Yes"
align="center">Total | align="center">Gender | align="center">Generation | |||||
align="center">Male | align="center">Female | align="center">Echo Boomers (18-31) | align="center">Gen X (32-43) | align="center">Baby Boomers (44-62) | align="center">Matures (63+) | ||
align="center">% | align="center">% | align="center">% | align="center">% | align="center">% | align="center">% | align="center">% | |
Rising prices | align="center">82 | align="center">78 | align="center">86 | align="center">73 | align="center">84 | align="center">87 | align="center">84 |
Concerns about money for emergencies | align="center">57 | align="center">51 | align="center">63 | align="center">56 | align="center">67 | align="center">61 | align="center">40 |
Too many things to do | align="center">56 | align="center">53 | align="center">58 | align="center">70 | align="center">63 | align="center">52 | align="center">35 |
Trouble sleeping | align="center">47 | align="center">41 | align="center">53 | align="center">51 | align="center">51 | align="center">49 | align="center">35 |
Concerns about health in general | align="center">44 | align="center">40 | align="center">49 | align="center">40 | align="center">43 | align="center">49 | align="center">44 |
Not enough money for basic necessities | align="center">35 | align="center">29 | align="center">41 | align="center">36 | align="center">45 | align="center">36 | align="center">19 |
Illness of a family member | align="center">29 | align="center">27 | align="center">32 | align="center">24 | align="center">31 | align="center">32 | align="center">29 |
Being lonely | align="center">27 | align="center">25 | align="center">30 | align="center">45 | align="center">28 | align="center">21 | align="center">13 |
Too much information to process at one time | align="center">25 | align="center">22 | align="center">28 | align="center">36 | align="center">26 | align="center">21 | align="center">19 |
Problems with your work, boss or fellow workers | align="center">21 | align="center">22 | align="center">20 | align="center">26 | align="center">28 | align="center">22 | align="center">3 |
Frequent or excessive noise | align="center">19 | align="center">18 | align="center">19 | align="center">26 | align="center">22 | align="center">16 | align="center">11 |
Problems with aging parents | align="center">19 | align="center">17 | align="center">20 | align="center">13 | align="center">22 | align="center">25 | align="center">9 |
Problems with my children | align="center">16 | align="center">13 | align="center">18 | align="center">8 | align="center">23 | align="center">18 | align="center">14 |
Abuse of your personal privacy | align="center">15 | align="center">16 | align="center">14 | align="center">13 | align="center">14 | align="center">16 | align="center">15 |
align="center"> THOSE WHO EXPERIENCED 14 HASSLES - BY CHILDREN AND POLITICAL PARTY
align="center">"Have you experienced the following in the past month?"
align="center"> Those saying "Yes"
align="center">Total | align="center">Children in household | align="center">Political Party | ||||
align="center">Household with Children | Household without Children | align="center">Rep. | Dem. | align="center">Ind. | ||
align="center">% | align="center">% | align="center">% | align="center">% | align="center">% | align="center">% | |
Rising prices | align="center">82 | align="center">85 | align="center">81 | align="center">79 | align="center">86 | align="center">81 |
Concerns about money for emergencies | align="center">57 | align="center">65 | align="center">54 | align="center">52 | align="center">62 | align="center">55 |
Too many things to do | align="center">56 | align="center">65 | align="center">52 | align="center">55 | align="center">57 | align="center">55 |
Trouble sleeping | align="center">47 | align="center">51 | align="center">46 | align="center">43 | align="center">50 | align="center">49 |
Concerns about health in general | align="center">44 | align="center">45 | align="center">44 | align="center">38 | align="center">50 | align="center">43 |
Not enough money for basic necessities | align="center">35 | align="center">44 | align="center">32 | align="center">29 | align="center">41 | align="center">31 |
Illness of a family member | align="center">29 | align="center">30 | align="center">29 | align="center">29 | align="center">30 | align="center">30 |
Being lonely | align="center">27 | align="center">28 | align="center">27 | align="center">24 | align="center">29 | align="center">29 |
Too much information to process at one time | align="center">25 | align="center">29 | align="center">24 | align="center">23 | align="center">26 | align="center">26 |
Problems with your work, boss or fellow workers | align="center">21 | align="center">24 | align="center">20 | align="center">19 | align="center">23 | align="center">21 |
Frequent or excessive noise | align="center">19 | align="center">21 | align="center">18 | align="center">17 | align="center">19 | align="center">19 |
Problems with aging parents | align="center">19 | align="center">18 | align="center">19 | align="center">18 | align="center">19 | align="center">19 |
Problems with my children | align="center">16 | align="center">28 | align="center">10 | align="center">15 | align="center">17 | align="center">14 |
Abuse of your personal privacy | align="center">15 | align="center">14 | align="center">15 | align="center">12 | align="center">15 | align="center">17 |
align="center"> THOSE WHO EXPERIENCED "A LOT" OF STRESS - DEMOGRAPHIC VARIATIONS
align="center">% | |
All Adults | align="center">26 |
AGE | |
Echo Boomers (18-31) | align="center">30 |
Gen. X (32-43) | align="center">33 |
Baby Boomers (44-62) | align="center">26 |
Matures (63+) | align="center">12 |
REGION | |
East | align="center">32 |
Midwest | align="center">22 |
South | align="center">25 |
West | align="center">25 |
GENDER | |
Male | align="center">22 |
Female | align="center">30 |
RACE/ETHNICITY | |
White | align="center">26 |
Black | align="center">21 |
Hispanic | align="center">30 |
HOUSEHOLD INCOME | |
Less than $35,000 | align="center">36 |
$35,000 - $49,999 | align="center">24 |
$50,000 - $74,999 | align="center">23 |
$75,000 or more | align="center">22 |
DISABILITY | |
People with disabilities | align="center">35 |
People without disabilities | align="center">21 |
CHILDREN | |
Households with children | align="center">33 |
Households with no children | align="center">23 |
PARTY IDENTIFICATION | |
Republican | align="center">22 |
Democrat | align="center">27 |
Independent | align="center">26 |