Rasmussen Poll: 39 Percent Say Gov't Should Do Nothing for Long-Term Unemployed

New Rasmussen polling finds a plurality (39 percent) of Americans think the government should do nothing for the long-term unemployed. Twelve percent think the government should hire the long-term unemployed, 8 percent think government should extend unemployment benefits indefinitely, and 32 percent think the government, or the taxpayers, should pay for their retraining.

These results are explained in part because 54 percent say it's possible to find work these days, up from 44 percent in November. Also, nearly half (47 percent) of Americans think government hiring more people would hurt the economy. These findings are especially interesting given that three out of four Americans know someone who is out of a job and looking for work.

Rasmussen also found a new high of 43 percent who expect unemployment to be higher a year from now, while 30 percent expect it to be lower and 23 percent think unemployment will stay the same.