Survey: Floridians most worried about retirement, health care, jobs

January 29, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Floridians right now are most worried about the loss of value in their retirement funds.  And just about as many Florida residents say their top economic concern is having access to quality, affordable health care.

Those are the key findings of an e-mail survey of approximately 127,000 Floridians conducted by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and presented today in his blog.  Nelson’s office conducted the informal constituent survey Jan. 8 through Jan. 14.  A third of the 127,000 – or 42,881 Floridians - responded to the senator’s questions about their most-pressing economic concerns.

The survey also showed that losing or holding onto jobs was Floridians’ third most-pressing concern.  Their fourth biggest worry was over rising property taxes, followed by the growth in the federal deficit and increasing food prices.

But when it came to home foreclosures and the cost of college, only 8 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively, said those were the top economic concerns.

“Floridians are worried about having enough money for their retirement and health care, and about job stability,” Nelson said. “But they also are burdened by high property taxes.”

Nelson said he intends to use the survey results to bolster his case in the Senate that legislation to address the nation’s economic woes needs to extend unemployment benefits, and include provisions to help those struggling to find jobs cover their health insurance costs.

When asked to identify their top three economic concerns, 15.7 percent said loss of retirement income; 15.5 percent said affordable health care; 15.4 percent said unemployment; 15 percent said rising property taxes and insurance costs; 14.6 percent said the growing federal deficit; and, 12.1 percent said rising food and consumer prices.

###