Poll: Unemployment worries Mainers
Unemployment is again a chief concern among Maine residents. According to a new poll from Critical Insights, 44% of those surveyed said it's the most important issue facing the state.
Concern over unemployment hit an 11-year high according to Critical Insights on Maine's Tracking Survey, just two years after only 11% of Mainers said it was the state's most pressing issue. Thirty-three percent said the economy was the biggest issue facing the state, with taxes, education and health care coming in at 4%, 4% and 3%, respectively. Additionally, 25% of respondents said their biggest concern in the next six months would be job loss, and 18% said the cost of living. Only 10% thought the state's economy is better than it was 12 months ago, down from 27% in the spring 2011 survey. The number of people who felt the economy is doing worse rose from 35% in the spring to 47% now. Gov. Paul LePage's approval rating also rose from 31% in the spring to 47% now.
The poll also asked respondents about two of the upcoming ballot questions and found that those supporting same-day voter registration held a very slight margin -- 51% -- over those who oppose it. Only 32% of people said they would vote to support a new congressional redistricting plan, with the majority of people -- 35% -- saying they didn't know or declined to answer. Critical Insights surveyed 600 people between Oct. 18 and Oct. 23.
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