US unemployment, jobs concerns return to top problem facing country

Nearly one out of four Americans said jobs and unemployment as the most pressing problem facing the United States, a Gallup poll released Monday indicated. Concerns over jobs and unemployment displaced government and politicians as the No. 1 problem facing the country now, results indicated. Government and politicians had topped the list since the partial government shutdown in October. Before the shutdown, either jobs or the economy led the "most important problem" list as far back as February 2008, and these two have regained their top spots in the latest poll, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said. Healthcare was mentioned by 15 percent as the top concern, while 8 percent said the federal debt/budget deficit topped their list of concerns, Gallup said. Results are based on nationwide telephone interviews with 1,023 adults conducted Feb. 6-9. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.