Americans continue to view most major U.S. business sectors unfavorably, according to the latest Gallup Work and Education Poll conducted from August 1-20, 2025. Only three industries—farming, computers, and restaurants—received majority-positive ratings from survey respondents.
The poll found that farming was viewed positively by 60% of Americans, while the computer industry received a 59% positive rating. Restaurants were rated positively by 52%. These three sectors have consistently been seen in a favorable light since Gallup began measuring perceptions in 2001.
Overall, the average positive rating across all 25 business sectors measured remained low at 38%, similar to last year’s average of 37%. This is the fifth consecutive year that the average has stayed below 40%.
Gallup reported that several industries have reached new lows in public perception. The federal government is now considered the least popular sector, with 61% of Americans viewing it negatively or very negatively. The pharmaceutical industry improved slightly compared to previous years but still had a negative/very negative rating of 58%. Healthcare also fared poorly with a negative/very negative score of 51%.
Entertainment and communication industries saw notable declines as well. Television and radio dropped ten points from their positive/somewhat positive rating of 42% in 2001 to just 32% in this year’s survey. The telephone industry fell from a positive/somewhat positive ranking of 39% in 2001 to only 34%. The movie industry declined from a positive/somewhat positive rating of 33% in 2001 to a record low of 31% in 2025.
For full details on the poll results, readers can visit the Gallup website.
