WASHINGTON, D.C. — The farming and computer industries lead Gallup’s annual ratings of 25 key U.S. business sectors, with 60% and 59% of Americans, respectively, viewing them “very” or “somewhat” positively. The restaurant industry is the only other sector rated positively by a majority of Americans (52%) this year.
Since Gallup began tracking this measure in 2001, these three industries have consistently earned majority-positive ratings, based on a five-point scale ranging from “very positive” to “very negative,” in nearly all years.
At the other end of the spectrum, the federal government has returned to the position of worst-rated sector. It displaces the pharmaceutical industry, which had occupied the lowest position for the past two years but has rebounded with an eight-percentage-point increase this year. Each of these sectors is viewed negatively by about six in 10 U.S. adults. Just one other industry, healthcare, garners a majority-level negative rating (51%).
In contrast to Americans’ ratings of other low-ranking sectors, relatively few have a “neutral” view of government and the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Positive ratings of the other 19 industries range from 29% to 43%.
The average positive rating across all 25 sectors measured in Gallup's Aug. 1-20 Work and Education poll is 38%, essentially unchanged from last year’s 37% average. This marks the fifth consecutive year it has averaged under 40%. The record-low average rating was 34% in 2008, while the record high was 49% in 2017.
Modest Changes in Ratings Since Last Year; Three Industries at Record Lows
There have been modest shifts in a number of the industries’ ratings since last year, but three have increased significantly — electric and gas utilities (up nine points), oil and gas (up eight points) and the aforementioned pharmaceutical industry (up eight points).
Ratings of three others — the movie, telephone, and television and radio industries — have slipped to their lowest points on record. The movie industry’s 31% positive rating and the television and radio industry’s 32% are both the lowest by one point. The telephone industry’s 34% rating matches the low first recorded in 2002.
Republicans’ Average Sector Rating Now Exceeds Democrats’
Partisans’ average industry ratings are typically more positive when the sitting president is from their own party, and with Donald Trump back in the White House, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents’ average rating has improved by nine points to 42%. At the same time, Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents’ average rating for all 25 sectors has fallen six points, to 35%.
Historically, several industries have frequently been viewed more positively by one party than the other. The farming and agriculture and the oil and gas industries have usually been viewed more positively by Republicans and Republican leaners than by Democrats and Democratic leaners. Conversely, the movie industry has mostly received higher ratings from Democrats than Republicans.
The largest partisan gaps in the current ratings include these industries. Republicans rate several sectors — oil and gas (by 34 points), farming (by 23 points), automobile (by 21 points), and retail (by 17 points) — much higher than Democrats do. Meanwhile, Democrats’ positive ratings of the legal field and movie industry each eclipse Republicans’ by 13 points.
Bottom Line
Americans’ views of business sectors remain historically weak overall, with just farming, computers and restaurants earning majority-positive ratings this year. At the same time, several industries, including movies, television and radio, and telephones, have sunk to record lows, while the federal government again ranks as the least popular. Each of these declines is driven by Democrats’ lower ratings since last year.
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