10 Most Hated Industries In America: Gallup

www.gallup.com, August 29, 2011 (excerpt)

1. Federal Government

2. Oil and Gas Industry

3. Real Estate Industry

4. Healthcare

5. Banking

6. The Legal Field

7. Education

8. Airline Industry

9. Pharmaceutical Industry

10. Advertising and Public Relations Industry

Implications

….poorly rated sectors have been associated with various well-publicized political or economic problems in recent years.  Americans’ frustration with politicians and Washington – exacerbated by the contentious debt ceiling negotiations – comes through in the federal government’s all-time low image rating.  The oil and gas industry has never done well in these image assessments, which is likely tied to swings in gas prices and the overall high price of gas.

The bad image of the real estate industry most likely reflects the housing crisis that has beset the country in recent years, and the poor image of the healthcare industry may reflect the rising cost of healthcare and uncertainty about access issues.  Americans continue to view banks poorly, which clearly reflects lingering concerns from the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent failure of many banks around the country.  Lawyers and the legal field have never had positive images.