Most Americans Leaving Home for Work Concerned About Getting Sick

Washington, DC, May 15, 2020 – New reporting from our Washington Post-Ipsos poll focuses on Americans still working out of home during the coronavirus pandemic. This data finds that most of these workers are concerned about becoming infected, but many still frequently come into close contact with large amounts of people in the course of their workday.

Detailed Findings:

• Three-quarters (69%) of those working outside of home are concerned about the possibility of getting sick.
• Most workers support requirements for workers (73%) or customers (71%) to wear face masks at businesses in their state.
• A third (36%) of workers are coming into close contact with 10 or more people in a typical work day. An additional 41% are coming into close contact with between 1 and 9 people in a typical day. Less than a quarter (23%) say they did not come within social distancing space (6 feet) of anyone in the last work day.

The Washington Post story can be found here. 

About the Study

This poll was jointly sponsored and funded by The Washington Post and Ipsos. The poll is a random sample of adults in the United States. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish.

This questionnaire was administered with the exact questions in the exact order as they appear in this document. Demographic questions are not shown. If a question was asked of a reduced base of the sample, a parenthetical preceding the question identifies the group asked. Phrases surrounded by parentheticals within questions indicate clauses that were randomly rotated for respondents.

Ipsos conducted sampling, interviewing, and tabulation for the survey using the KnowledgePanel, a representative panel of adults age 18 and over living in the United States. KnowledgePanel members are recruited through probability sampling methods using address-based sampling. Panel members who do not have internet access are provided with a netbook and internet service.

This survey uses statistical weighting procedures to account for deviations in the survey sample from known population characteristics, which helps correct for differential survey participation and random variation in samples. The overall sample was weighted to match the demographic makeup of general population adults age 18 or older by sex, region, age, race/ethnicity, education, household income, and language proficiency according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, and to residence in a metropolitan area according to the Current Population Survey.

The margin of sampling error including the design effect for the full sample is plus or minus one percentage point. The error margin is 3.5 among the sample of 928 people who were laid off. For results based on other subgroups, the margin of sampling error may be higher. Note that sampling error is only one of many potential sources of error in this or any other public opinion poll.

All error margins have been adjusted to account for the survey’s design effect, which is 1.2 for this survey. The design effect is a factor representing the survey’s deviation from a simple random sample and takes into account decreases in precision due to sample design and weighting procedures. Surveys that do not incorporate a design effect overstate their precision. 

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Chris Jackson
Senior Vice President, US
Public Affairs
+1 202 420-2025
[email protected]

Kate Silverstein
Media Relations Specialist, US
Public Affairs
+1 718 755-8829
[email protected]    

About Ipsos

Ipsos is the world’s third largest market research company, present in 90 markets and employing more than 18,000 people.

Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. We serve more than 5000 clients across the world with 75 business solutions.

Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1st, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and the Mid-60 index and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).

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