American Job Seekers Vote Where Their Wallet Is: ‘Four Years Ago, Money Was More Affordable’

America’s financial health — and the taxpayers who support it — looks set to be the most important 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 worry about the most… I just feel like America and the world is burning,” Rochelle Koperdak of Dayton, Ohio, told Fox News Digital.

“What about just focusing on getting the job done? I’d like to see more of that, more of the results of their actions,” said Lori Willis of Pace, Fla. “I feel like everybody has the power to do what’s right, and I feel like everybody’s hands are tied by the herd, and that’s really disgusting.”

“Will (candidates) make my company more politically correct or make it more functional?” asked Cheryl Persson of California

2024 WILL BE THE “HARDEST” JOB MARKET “IN OUR LIVES”: REPORT

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

Of the nearly 100,000 active workers surveyed, seven in 10 said their personal finance situation is now “worse” or “much worse” than it was a year ago.

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

“I felt a lot safer when Trump was in office. He had the (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) that lowered taxes for individuals and businesses,” explained Koperdak, a civilian program contract manager for the U.S. Air Force.

“It gave everybody more breathing room. And I think his focus on deregulation helped businesses grow and create more jobs.”

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

“I was a full-time employee,” Willis said. interior designer, indicated, “federal contractor for the government. The contract ended, so now I’m back to offering interior design services on my own. That’s kept me afloat, but I’d rather have a permanent, full-time position with a design firm or an architectural firm, which I’ve done in the past.”

“My family’s income hasn’t changed, but our comfort level has gone down significantly,” said Persson, a homemaker and homeschool teacher. “Money went a lot further four years ago. We were able to cover our bills and still have money saved. The economy has plummeted with the current administration, and to make matters worse, where I live in California, the cost of living is much higher.”

In addition, 44% of respondents said they don’t earn enough to cover their daily expenses. Three job seekers detailed feeling the most financial pressure from rising grocery costs, healthcare bills and the housing market.

“Health care costs (are) probably the most expensive for my family right now. That’s along with food costs and rising inflation,” Willis said. “But I wouldn’t say that’s my No. 1 concern. My No. 1 concern is the border being closed.”

BANK OF AMERICA CEO REVEALS WHERE AMERICAN CONSUMERS’ MONEY GOES AND WHAT THE “PROBLEM” IS

After preparing for hurricane season and stocking up on supplies, Willis also mentioned that her family was considering stocking up on essentials “just to get by.”

Persson said the biggest challenge is “the inability to buy a home,” because it’s “a symptom of a bigger problem. It all comes down to economic health. We’re economically sick as a country. As is the case in most elections, the economy is at the forefront.”

During Trump’s term in office, Koperdak allegedly owned two homes from which she derived income from renting them out, but in recent years she was forced to sell both and move to a new location due to the high maintenance costs.

“Inflation is just out of control. That’s the only word I have for it. Everything from groceries to gasoline is more expensive,” Koperdak said.

“As the Biden administration reduces fossil fuels, moves very quickly to green energy, I feel like we’ve seen higher energy costs that carry over to everything else in life. So that’s my number one issue, definitely for November. I want a candidate who’s going to bring back policies that will help bring down costs.”

All three career candidates have emphasized that private-sector job creation policies are influencing their votes. Fox News previously reported that 16% of new jobs created under Biden came from the government or public sector, while Trump saw a 7.4% increase in government jobs.

Economists also dismissed Biden and Harris’ “misleading” claim that the job market has boomed post-COVID-19, as data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed the economy created 6.33 million jobs during Trump’s first three years in office, more than double Biden’s tally.

“I’m definitely pessimistic if (Harris) is our president. I just feel sick to my stomach whenever I imagine that,” Willis said. “But if Trump can get back into office, I feel like he can turn the ship around to where it was.”

“If the election were held today, I would 100 percent vote for Donald Trump,” Persson noted. “He has shown himself to be a strong president who has a great love for this country and its people. With that love and care comes ease of leadership. With that leadership comes strength, and with strength comes respect. Respect for the American president has been nonexistent, domestically and internationally, for the last four years.”

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

“I would vote for the candidate who is committed to restoring Trump’s policies, which is Trump himself,” Koperdak said. “We had lower taxes, less regulation and a focus on American jobs.”

“The Biden administration… I think it really hurt the economy,” she continued. “And I feel like since Biden has had almost four years to fix it, that should come back… I would choose a candidate who prioritizes economic freedom, lower taxes, and job creation, because those are the policies that made me feel financially secure and that I could be successful.”

READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS