US job seekers cast their vote where their money is: “Four years ago, money was much more valuable”

The financial health of America — and the taxpayers who support it — appears to be a top issue in the 2024 presidential election, especially for those looking for work.

“I just want the younger generations to have a future… that's what I'm most concerned about… because I feel like America and the whole world is on fire,” Rochelle Koperdak of Dayton, Ohio, told Fox News Digital.

“How about they just focus on doing their jobs? I'd like to see more of that, more results from their actions,” said Lori Willis of Pace, Florida. “I feel like they all have the power to do the right thing and I feel like their hands are all tied and that's really disgusting.”

“Are [the candidates] Will they make my company more politically correct or will they increase the functionality of my company?” asked Cheryl Persson of California

2024 will be the ‘toughest’ job market ‘of our lifetime’: report

All three voters are willing to work and are currently looking for new employment. They recently participated in the joint RedBalloon and PublicSq. Freedom Economy Index survey for job seekers.

Seven out of ten of the nearly 100,000 employed people who took part in the survey said their personal financial situation was either “worse” or “much worse” today than it was a year ago.

In addition, Koperdak, Willis and Persson also agreed that their financial situation is much worse than it was four years ago.

“Back when Trump was in office, I felt much safer. He had the [Tax Cuts and Jobs Act]and that has reduced taxes for both individuals and businesses,” said Koperdak, U.S. Air Force contract manager for civil programs.

“It gave everyone more freedom. I also feel like he focused on deregulation, which helped businesses grow and created new jobs.”

“Now, under the Biden administration,” she continued, “we're seeing the impact of increased regulation and policies that seem to prioritize government spending over private sector growth. And I think the difference is the economic stability we had under Trump.”

“I was a full-time employee,” Willis said. an interior designer, emphasized, “a federal government contractor. The contract expired, so now I've gone back to offering interior design services myself. That's how I've kept myself afloat, but I would much rather have a permanent full-time position with a design firm or architectural firm, which is what I've done in the past.”

“My family's income hasn't changed, but our standard of living has dropped significantly,” said Persson, a stay-at-home mom and homeschool teacher. “Four years ago, money went much further. We could pay our bills and still had money saved. The economy has collapsed under the current administration, and the cost of living is much higher where I live in California.”

In addition, 44% of survey respondents said their net income is not enough to cover their daily expenses. The three job seekers said they feel the most financial pressure from rising food prices, healthcare costs and the housing market.

“Healthcare costs [are] probably the most expensive thing for my family right now. That along with food prices and rising inflation,” Willis said. “But I wouldn't say it would be my main problem. My main problem would be getting the border closed.”

Bank of America CEO reveals where US consumers' money is going and the “problem” with it

After preparing for hurricane season and gathering supplies, Willis also mentioned that her family considered relying on their non-perishable emergency supplies “just to make ends meet.”

Persson said the biggest challenge was “not being able to buy a house” as it was a “symptom of a bigger problem”. “It's all about economic health. We as a country are not doing well economically. As in most elections, the economy is at the forefront.”

During Trump's time in office, Koperdak reportedly owned two homes that she rented out for rental income, but she was forced to sell both and move herself in recent years due to high maintenance costs.

“Inflation is just out of control. That's the only word I can think of. Everything from food to gasoline is more expensive,” Koperdak said.

“As the Biden administration reduces fossil fuels and moves very quickly to green energy, I feel like we're seeing higher energy costs that impact everything else in life. So that's definitely my top issue for November. I want a candidate who will bring back the policies that help keep costs down.”

All three candidates stress that policies to create jobs in the private sector influenced their voting decision. Fox News had previously reported that 16% of the new jobs created under the Biden administration were in the public sector, while Trump recorded 7.4% public sector job growth.

Persson said: “My family's income has not changed, but our standard of living has dropped significantly. Four years ago, we had enough money for much more.” (Fox News)

Economists have also dismissed Biden and Harris' “misleading” claim that there was a booming job market after the COVID pandemic, with data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showing that the economy added 6.33 million new jobs in Trump's first three years in office – more than double Biden's number.

“I am definitely pessimistic if [Harris] is our president. It just makes me sick to think about it,” Willis said. “But if Trump can get back in office, I feel like he can get the ship back on course.”

“If the election were held today, I would vote 100% for Donald Trump,” Persson noted. “He has proven himself to be a strong president who loves this country and its people very much. With that love and care comes an ease of leadership. With that leadership comes strength, and with strength comes respect. Respect for the American president has been nonexistent over the last four years, neither domestically nor internationally.”

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

“I would vote for the candidate who is committed to bringing back Trump's policies, and that is Trump himself,” Koperdak said. “We had lower taxes, fewer regulations and a focus on American jobs.”

“The Biden administration … I think it's really hurt the economy,” she continued. “And I think since Biden has had almost four years to fix it, it should start to pick up again … I would vote for a candidate who prioritizes economic freedom, lower taxes and job creation, because those are the policies that have made me feel financially secure and made me feel like I can succeed.”

READ MORE FROM FOX BUSINESS