Are You going to Be Thankful This Year?

2011 has proven to be a difficult year for the U.S. and many of us here in Yakima and across the nation – the economy continues to be shaky, unemployment remains high, people are unhappy with their political leaders, and many have been affected by a series of damaging natural disasters. Considering the circumstances, it may not be surprising that only 32% of U.S. adults say that they will have more to be thankful for this Thanksgiving than a few years ago, according to a new Harris Poll. Meanwhile, 45% say they’ll have about as much to be thankful for this year as they had a few years ago. Only 18% say they will have less to be thankful for, and 5% are not sure. When asked to think about their overall feelings this Thanksgiving compared to a few years ago, many Americans don’t seem particularly grateful, yet when asked about specific items, things are different:

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85% of Americans say they will feel thankful this Thanksgiving both for the health of their family (85%) and because of their family relationships.

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74% say they will feel thankful because technology makes it easy to stay in touch with family and friends and 63% say they are thankful that good technology is easily accessible.

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While unemployment and underemployment remain prevalent, Americans seem thankful for their situation, Even if it may not be ideal.

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An item that Americans are divided about is the way people treat each other – 36% say they feel thankful for this while 40% do not.

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The one item on the list that a majority of Americans say they do not feel thankful for is, predictably, the economic situation in the U.S., which 67% say they do not feel thankful for.