Would you consider the growth outlook in your industry/sector of the economy to be positive or negative over the next 12 months?

Positive (16%) – "I am in a position to evaluate the output of AI agents - critical thinking skills are always going to be in demand."

• "It's just because of the Iran war that the prices are surging. They will decline once this is over. This really is short term and not like the Biden era "transitory" inflation that stuck around for most of his presidency."

Negative (76%) – "Gas is higher, groceries are higher, everything is higher. I’m looking into recipes from the Great Depression to get through the months"

• "I am in the financial services industry and elevated rates are keeping borrowing costs out of reach for many who desperately need or want lower payments. The inflationary elements putting pressure on consumers are the basic needs of daily life, so extraordinary spending has gone out the window for a large percentage of the population."

"State workers are suffering - our insurance is not very good, and premiums are much higher; a lot of the workers are doing their regular jobs and a portion of another job with the hiring freeze. Some jobs are being replaced by machines and robots. The education system doesn't have great ratings overall for preparing the workforce for jobs, which is concerning."

• "I see hesitancy in my clients. They are suspect of making commitments for high dollar purchases. The rising cost of materials and fuel are influencing their buying decisions."

"I am in the transportation business. Selling class 8 HD trucks. Dump trucks, log trucks, low boy tractors and trailers. Fuel costs are still going up. Contractors are hesitant to purchase replacement trucks let along adding new trucks. We are going to see housing starts slump and with housing slumps a recession is just around the corner. Trump needs to get this Iran thing behind us before he bankrupts half the free world."

• "Gas is higher, groceries are higher, everything is higher. I’m looking into recipes from the Great Depression to get through the months"

"My industry of education has been hit hard by the Trump Administration and the uncertainty at the US Department of Education. The administration abruptly cancelled federal grants that left researchers unemployed and left teacher candidates in teacher preparation programs in limbo when their scholarships were cancelled due to lost grant funding. Now districts in Illinois are RIFing teachers because of the uncertainty in federal dollars. It is one thing to develop a plan for cutting funding and phase things out. It is another to abruptly due it on the basis of ideological disagreements. There is so much chaos right now in the education field that it is hard to plan."

Unsure/other (9%) – "I work in mental health and I believe people need this now more than ever. However, they may not be able to afford it, even with insurance."