7 in 10 Americans say Trump tariffs undermine their hard work: Survey

US President Donald Trump’s tariffs have not only sent jitters down countries that have been on the receiving end of his punitive measures, but also the American working class. A new survey has revealed that a majority of the US population thinks that tariffs and inflation are negating their hard work.

WalletHub’s poll has found that 55 per cent of the surveyed US adults think that their hard work is not paying off due to Trump’s tariffs. The president’s reciprocal tariff measures of up to 50 per cent have taken effect in most countries, including India.

According to the survey, a significant majority, 7 in 10 respondents, said they are working harder this year compared to 2024. Around 40 per cent expressed concern that AI could replace their jobs. A separate Reuters/Ipsos poll released earlier this month found that 71 per cent of Americans fear advancements in AI will lead to permanent job losses for many US workers.

In addition, respondents in the WalletHub survey reported that the job market has shown little improvement, with nearly 60 per cent saying it’s still difficult to find employment.

While key US trade allies are bearing the brunt of Trump’s tariffs, the president has threatened to impose new tariffs on countries that “attack” American tech companies, saying that digital taxes are meant to harm the tech interests of the US.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “As the President of the United States, I will stand up to Countries that attack our incredible American Tech Companies. Digital Taxes, Digital Services Legislation, and Digital Markets Regulations are all designed to harm, or discriminate against, American Technology.”

He added that such taxes and regulations “give a complete pass” to China and declared that if countries do not remove the legislation, then Washington will “impose substantial additional tariffs” on that particular nation’s exports to the country to the US.

Many countries, particularly in Europe, have levied taxes on the sales revenue of digital service providers, including Alphabet’s Google, Meta’s Facebook, Apple and Amazon. The issue has been a longstanding trade irritant for multiple US administrations.