PA Coronavirus Survey: Job Losses Hit Hard, Trump In Disfavor

PENNSYLVANIA — About half of Pennsylvania residents disapprove of the federal government's response to the coronavirus pandemic, and a majority disapprove of President Donald Trump's performance during the crisis, according to an informal reader survey Patch conducted Thursday.

Just over 50 percent of the survey's more than 4,800 respondents said they are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the federal response, compared with 40 percent who say they are either satisfied or very satisfied.

Fifty-five percent of respondents said they are either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the president's performance, compared with 39 percent saying they are satisfied or very satisfied. Among those expressing the strongest views, those describing themselves as very dissatisfied with the president outnumbered the very satisfied by a ratio of 2 to 1.

Respondents thought better of the state government's response to the crisis, with almost 64 percent expressing positive views about its performance. Nearly as many — 63 percent —expressed positive views about Gov. Tom Wolf’s performance, and his share of "very satisfied" answers was even greater than that of the state government as a whole.

The survey, which appeared in questionnaire form earlier Thursday on Patch, is meant not to be a scientific poll but only to give a broad idea of public sentiment.

The Patch survey included questions about how Pennsylvania residents have fared in the economic downturn resulting from the pandemic, and for many the picture is grim.

About 16 percent of respondents said they had been laid off, furloughed or dismissed as a result of the pandemic, and another 17 percent said they had lost significant working hours. More than 31 percent said a family member had lost a job, and 56 percent said a family member had lost significant working hours.

Finally, the survey asked how well respondents are complying with stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines.

Some 76 percent of respondents say they almost always comply with the stay-at-home order, and 86 percent said they almost always practice social distancing when they must leave their homes.

But respondents don't think their neighbors are doing nearly so well at following the rules. Only 27 percent said others in the community almost always comply, while 39 percent said those others often do and 29 percent said only sometimes.

Results for each of the survey's nine questions appear below.