Gallup: Guns, immigration not seen as nation's top problems

PRINCETON, N.J., April 15 (UPI) -- The economy and jobs still are considered the top issues facing the United States today, not guns or immigration, Gallup said Monday.

Twenty-four percent of Americans frequently mention the economy in general, 18 percent say jobs/unemployment, and 11 percent say the deficit, results of the Gallup poll indicated.

The percentage mentioning each of these economic issues is in the same range as has been the case each month so far this year, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said.

Overall, 56 percent of Americans name some economic issue as the nation's top problem, the lowest such percentage since December 2009, Gallup said. Now, nearly as many name a non-economic issue.

Four percent of Americans mentioning guns as the nation's top problem, the same as month, Gallup said.

Gallup said 4 percent of Americans named immigration as the top problem, down from the 5 percent who mentioned it in March.

Four percent of Americans this month mention North Korea as the nation's most important problem, up from 1 percent last month.

Results are based on nationwide telephone interviews conducted with 1,005 adults April 4-7. The martin of error is 4 percentage points.