Latino Priorities: Inflation and Immigration Top List for U.S. Government Focus

The vast majority of U.S. residents believe the economy should be a top priority for the government this year, according to a new AP-NORC poll.

Concretely, over 75% of U.S. adults across racial backgrounds listed issues related to the economy when asked about five topics they would want the government to focus on in 2024.

Inflation stood out among economic issues, with 30% of Latinos making a specific reference to price increases. The same proportion of Whites and AAPI adults gave that answer, while two out of every ten Blacks did so.

This could be an encouraging sign for the Biden administration, as inflation has been dropping steadily since hitting a 40-year high in 2022. According to Bloomberg, "inflation is set to further recede in 2024, ending the year near the Federal Reserve's 2% target as economic disruptions from the pandemic fade further and prices of some goods even decline."

The poll results coincide with another, larger one focused on the Latino community and released in late November. Conducted by UnidosUS, it found that inflation, the labor market and the economy are currently the biggest concerns for this demographic.

Over half of the respondents stated that elected officials need to address the rising cost of living. They also mentioned being worried about being laid off and about unsafe working conditions.

However, the poll differs in another issue set to dominate the public agenda this year: immigration. In the UnidosUS poll, only 20% of respondents noted that immigration was their biggest concern.

In turn, 43% of Latino adults told AP that immigration should be a priority this year, a larger share than Whites (36%), Pacific Islanders (29%) and Blacks (19%).

Most respondents, beyond race, were "slightly" or "not at all" confident that the federal government will be able to make progress on important issues in 2024, with about 70% answering that way.

"Nearly 8 in 10 white adults expressed a low confidence in the government's ability to solve problems, a significantly higher rate of pessimism than that of other racial groups. They are more likely than Hispanic adults, at 63%, and Black adults, at 46%, to have little faith in the federal government to address their top concerns," reads a passage of the poll.

Finally, non-White adults were more likely than whites to "highlight racism or racial inequality among the topics for the government to address." "About 2 in 10 Black adults highlight racial issues, compared to 13% of Hispanic adults and 12% of AAPI adults. Each of these groups is more likely than white adults, at 7%, to mention it," the report concluded.