A survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicates that much of the country remains unlikely to venture out to bars, restaurants, theaters or gyms anytime soon.
Survey suggests hesitancy could mute any recovery
WASHINGTON — Much of the country remains unlikely to venture out to bars, restaurants, theaters or gyms anytime soon, despite state and local officials across the country increasingly allowing businesses to reopen, according to a new survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
That hesitancy in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak could muffle any recovery from what has been the sharpest economic downturn in U.S. history. Just 42% of those who went to concerts, movies, theaters or sporting events at least monthly before the outbreak say they’d do so in the next few weeks if they could. Only about half of those who regularly went to restaurants, exercised at the gym or traveled would feel comfortable doing so again.
About a quarter of Americans say someone in their household has lost a job amid that downturn, and about half have lost household income, including layoffs, pay cuts, cut hours or unpaid time off. The majority of those whose household suffered a layoff still believe they will return to their previous employer, but the share expecting their job will not return has risen slightly over the past month, to 30% from 20%.
Amber Van Den Berge, a teacher in Indiana, held off on immediately returning to her second job as a fitness instructor. She would need to pass a test for COVID-19, get her t e mp e ra t u re checked each morning and lead class while wearing a protective mask.
“Wear a mask to teach a fitness class? I’m not ready for that,” said Van Den Berge, 39.
The speed and strength of any economic rebound could be thwarted because many fear the risk of new infections.
Consumers make up roughly 70% of U.S. economic activity, so anything less than a total recovery in spending would force many companies to permanently close and deepen the financial pain for 39 million people who have lost jobs in roughly the past two months.
Forty-nine percent of Americans approve of how President Donald Trump is handling the economy, the poll shows. That has slipped from 56% in March.
Among those who did so at least monthly before the outbreak, Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say they’d go to restaurants (69% to 37%), movies, concerts or theaters (68% to 28%), travel (65% to 38%) and go to a gym or fitness studio (61% to 44%).
There’s an exception to the partisan divide: 76% of Republicans and 69% of Democrats who get haircuts on at least a monthly basis said they’d do that in the next few weeks if they could.