ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

Ethics Ratings Of Almost All Professions Drop In US: Gallup 2023 Survey

Congress members, senators, pharmacists, and journalists hit new lows in ethics ratings while nurses continue to top the list for the 22nd consecutive year.
PUBLISHED JAN 26, 2024
The trust in nearly all 23 professions surveyed has experienced a decline compared to recent years. Pexels | Photo by fauxels
The trust in nearly all 23 professions surveyed has experienced a decline compared to recent years. Pexels | Photo by fauxels

Americans' perspectives on the honesty and ethics of different professions are undergoing a shift, Gallup's 2023 Honesty and Ethics poll outlined. The trust in nearly all 23 professions surveyed has experienced a decline compared to recent years. Surprisingly, only one profession, that of labor union leaders, has managed to maintain its ratings since 2019. However, it's worth noting that only a modest 25% of respondents view their honesty and ethics as "very high" or "high."

53-Year-Old Woman Faces 70 Fraud Charges. Pexels | By  Sora Shimazaki
Pexels | Photo By Sora Shimazaki

Nurses continue to enjoy the highest level of trust among US adults with 78% believing in their high standards of honesty and ethics. However, this marks a decline of seven percentage points from 2019 and a more significant drop of 11 points from their peak in 2020. On the opposite end of the spectrum, members of Congress, senators, car salespeople, and advertising practitioners find themselves at the bottom of the trust scale. Their ratings linger in the single digits, either stagnant or worsening.

Image Source: Pexels | Photo by Laura James
The nursing profession still enjoys the highest trust ratings. Pexels | Photo by Laura James

Gallup has been assessing honesty and ethics since 1976 and the most recent data is from a December 2023 poll involving approximately 800 U.S. adults. Except for veterinarians, the honesty and ethics ratings of the remaining 22 professions have collectively dipped by an average of six points since 2019. It's noteworthy that five professions, including members of Congress, senators, journalists, clergy, and pharmacists, have hit new lows in their ethics ratings this year.

The educational background of respondents plays a significant role in shaping perceptions of professional ethics. College graduates generally tend to offer more positive honesty and ethics ratings than their non-college graduate counterparts for about half of the professions. Dentists and engineers stand out with particularly high ratings from college graduates while psychiatrists, college teachers, and pharmacists exhibit notable educational gaps in ratings.

Image Source : Photo by fauxels/ Pexels
College graduates generally tend to offer more positive honesty and ethics ratings | Pexels | Photo by fauxels

Political affiliations also influence how different professions are perceived. Democrats typically hold more favorable views than Republicans. An exception to this trend is seen with police officers, where Republicans give higher honesty and ethics ratings compared to Democrats. The most substantial gap emerges in evaluation of college teachers, displaying a 40-point difference between Democrats and Republicans. Other professions with significant party differences include psychiatrists, journalists, and labor union leaders.

While the image of many professions, especially those in the medical field, witnessed a positive shift during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, this optimism proved short-lived. Ratings have since dwindled to all-time lows for almost all professions. Nurses continue to be a beacon of trust, maintaining a positive view for the 22nd consecutive year. However, overall, the trust in various professions has waned compared to both a year ago and four years ago.

Image Sources: Pexels|Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
Pexels | Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Gallup's findings highlight the dynamic nature of public perception and the nuanced factors influencing trust in different professions. The evolving landscape of trust underscores the importance of continuous evaluation and adaptation for professionals seeking to maintain or regain public confidence. It serves as a reminder that trust is a delicate aspect of professional relationships, influenced by a multitude of factors, and deserving of careful consideration in today's ever-changing societal context.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Guests on the show would run with it if they ever got that kind of money on Pawn Stars.
5 hours ago
The guest even said to keep the kids in the dark about how valuable these items were.
7 hours ago
The company had fantastic sales but a crushing debt with a high interest rate that the sharks hated.
10 hours ago
It was only Carey's second season in the show and he could have been part of a massive scandal.
1 day ago
“I won’t say anything, and you know why,” he said, with a gesture to zip his lips.
1 day ago
The ring was rescued by the guest's mother thanks to a stranger early in the morning.
1 day ago
"She blanked out. It happens to the best of us," a fan sympathized with the player.
1 day ago
The instrument originally belonged to the guest's grandfather who suffered a horrific injury.
2 days ago
The contestant's wife seemed embarassed at that point of time, and worried as well.
2 days ago
The co-founders of Dino Don got the shark that they always wanted on board.
2 days ago
One can understand why the measure is in place but the shopper was having none of it.
2 days ago
"My husband and I definitely noticed it! We had to rewind it a few times," a fan reacted.
2 days ago
All of the sharks agreed that she had a great product and the drive to be successful a businesswoman.
3 days ago
It's possible that the dog played a little part in making it easier for them to get a deal.
3 days ago
Without the help of his wife, the contestant would have gone home empty-handed.
3 days ago
The pawn store owner had a valid point since the item the guest had brought had numerous issues.
3 days ago
The contestant got the first part of the puzzle right but wasn't able to solve it in time.
3 days ago
"It's a lady's robe. A robe from 1750 is a very rare robe. The only other ones I know of this type, you'd have to go to Beijing," the appraiser said.
4 days ago
Harvey also got other hilarious answers, but nothing could match the woman's sass.
4 days ago
The Gronkowski family is famous for their contributions to America's sporting culture.
4 days ago