Generation Gap? Political and Economic Sentiment Across Three Generations

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Generation Gap?Political and Economic Sentiment Across

Three Generations

Bay Area Research Forum, May 2015

Presented by: Matt Newman and Courtney Williams, Research Now

©2015 Research Now Group, Inc. 2

What will we learn today?

Our goal is to share primary research comparing Millennials, Generation X, and Baby

Boomers• Who are these generations?

• What are their political and economic sentiments?

• What are the practical implications?

3©2015 Research Now Group, Inc.

Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Xers, and Millennials

*Source: Pew Research Center, http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/03/19/comparing-millennials-to-other-generations/

68.4M

64.6M

74.3M

26.8M

2014 Pop

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/03/19/comparing-millennials-to-other-generations/

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/03/19/comparing-millennials-to-other-generations/


Putting Millennials in perspective

This year (2015), Millennials will overtake Baby Boomers

Millennials are expected to comprise 75% of the global workforce by 2025.

By 2020, nearly half of all US workforce is expected to be comprised of this generation.

Millennial population is projected to peak in 2036 at 81.1 million. Noteworthy the Boomers peaked at 78.8 million in 1999.

By 2016, Millennials will have a greater financial spend than Baby Boomers over their life span and will account for 1/3 of all U.S spending by 2020.


Insights from the Opinion Tracker


Research Now Opinion Tracker

CONTENT AREAS• Presidential / Congressional Approval• Current Events• Economic Sentiment

• Spending Behavior• Brand Preferences

Tracker has been running since November 2014Goal is to conduct primary research on public opinion

• 400 completes / week• Census balanced on completes• Total N ~ 8,500 (April 16th)

• Mobile friendly, LOI < 10 minutes


Millennials Most Optimistic About EconomyMillennials

Generation X

Baby Boomers

18.60%

13.30%

11.50%

40.30%

34.60%

31.80%

41.10%

52.10%

50.60%

How Would You Rate The Economy Overall?

Excellent / Very Good AverageFair / Poor

Millennials

Generation X

Baby Boomers

40.30%

29.90%

29.90%

43.60%

48.50%

47.00%

16.00%

22.60%

23.00%

How Do You Expect Economy To Change?

Improve Stay the Same Decline


Millennials Most Satisfied with All Leadership

Presidential Approval Congressional Approval1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

Millennials Generation X Baby Boomers

Rated from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied)

3 = “neutral”


Millennials Slightly More Liberal…

Millennials

Generation X

Baby Boomers

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

43.40%

38.50%

36.90%

32.87%

33.30%

32.40%

23.90%

28.20%

30.70%

Democrat Independent Republican


But Millennials Are Least Likely to Vote…

Registered to Vote

Voted in Last Presidential Election

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Baby Boomers Generation X Millennials


Generations Differ in Choice of “Most Important Issue”

Education

Healthcare

Domestic Economy

National Security

Deficits and National Debt

Social Issues

Immigration

Global Economy

Taxes

International Events

0% 4% 8%12%

16%

Millennials Rank

Gen X Rank

Boomers Rank

1 6 6

2 3 3

3 1 2

4 2 1

5 4 4

6 7 9

7 5 5

8 9 10

9 8 8

10 10 7


Generations Have Different Areas of Frustration: Boomers Frustration Gap

68%

60%

57%

51%

56%

51%

51%

68%

73%

64%

National Security

Domestic Economy

Healthcare

Deficits and Debt

Education

Taxes

Immigration


Global Economy

Social Issues

1 2 3 4 5

“Importance” Rating


Generations Have Different Areas of Frustration: Gen-X Frustration Gap

61%

62%

70%

60%

57%

58%

61%

70%

69%

73%

Healthcare

Domestic Economy

National Security

Education

Deficits and Debt

Taxes

Immigration

Global Economy

Social Issues


1 2 3 4 5



Generations Have Different Areas of Frustration: Millennials

Education

Healthcare

National Security

Global Economy

Immigration

1 2 3 4 5

Frustration Gap

65%

67%

69%

72%

78%

64%

78%

76%

73%

84%



Generations Have Different Areas of Frustration: Summary

Issue Millennials Gen-X Boomers

Education

Taxes

Healthcare

Domestic Economy

National Security

Deficits and Debt

Global Economy

Social Issues

Immigration


But there’s also quite a bit of agreement…


Sneak Peak: Tracking Discretionary Spending

Nov

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r

Dec

embe

r

Janu

ary

Febr

uary

Mar

ch

Nov

embe

r

Dec

embe

r

Janu

ary

Febr

uary

Mar

ch

Nov

embe

r

Dec

embe

r

Janu

ary

Febr

uary

Mar

ch

Millennials Gen X Baby Boomers

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

More Dining Out More Travelling More Entertainment


Sneak Peak: Tracking Discretionary Spending

1-N

ov

1-D

ec

1-Ja

n

1-Fe

b

1-M

ar

1-N

ov

1-D

ec

1-Ja

n

1-Fe

b

1-M

ar

1-N

ov

1-D

ec

1-Ja

n

1-Fe

b

1-M

ar

Millennials Gen X Baby Boomers

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

More Dining Out More Travelling More Entertainment


Practical Implications

How are Millennials Different? …in so many ways!


In Summary…

• Millennials are..– Optimistic, but less likely to vote– Somewhat more politically liberal– Most concerned with issues closer

to home • Implications and Future Directions– Self-definitions versus

perceptions of others– How they gather data– Shopping habits and brand

preferences

• Gen-Xers are…– The middle children– Lacking a strong generational

identity

• Baby Boomers are…– Most pessimistic and most

dissatisfied– More concerned with immigration

and national security than other generations


Thank you for your time!

Courtney Williams, Director of Client [email protected]

Matt Newman, Research Products [email protected]

*Download our millennial shopper whitepaper at rnmobile.com

Generation Gap? Political and Economic Sentiment Across Three Generations

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