“Nurses Shine, Bankers Slump in Ethics Ratings”

Nov 24th, 2008 • Posted in: Research Report

Gallup’s “annual Honesty and Ethics poll rates nurses best of 21 professions”

From Gallup:

“For the seventh straight year, nurses enjoy top public accolades in Gallup’s annual Honesty and Ethics of professions survey. Eighty-four percent of Americans call their honesty and ethical standards either ‘high’ or ‘very high.’…

“Nurses have topped Gallup’s Honesty and Ethics ranking every year but one since they were added to the list in 1999. The exception is 2001, when firefighters were included on the list on a one-time basis, shortly after the Sep. 11 terrorist attacks….

“The standing of most of the professions surveyed in 2008 is similar to that of a year ago. The only significant change is a 12 percentage-point decline in positive ratings for bankers, from 35% to 23% — not surprising given that the banking industry is at the center of the Wall Street meltdown currently gutting many Americans’ investment accounts and destabilizing the U.S. economy. (Earlier this year, Gallup reported a similar decline in public confidence in banking as an institution.)

“The 2008 Gallup Honesty and Ethics poll marks the first time since 1996 that the honesty and ethics of bankers has registered below 30%. The last time bankers took a hit of similar magnitude to their image was in 1988, when it fell from 38% to 26% during the savings and loan crisis. However, the 23% recorded today marks a record low for the field.

“Nurses have no peer in the Gallup rankings today, but they are followed by pharmacists, high-school teachers, and medical doctors, all with close to two-thirds of Americans rating them highly….

“Building contractors, bankers, journalists, and real estate agents each receive relatively neutral ratings….

“While bankers could be faring much worse, a year ago they were in the top-rated category, with 35% rating their ethics high or very high and only 15% rating them low or very low.

“Indeed, several professions suffer from a heavily negative tilt in their image ratings. The worst of these are lobbyists, telemarketers, and car salesmen, all of which are considered to have low or very low honesty and ethics by a majority of Americans….”

For the full press release from Gallup, Nov. 24, click here.

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One Response »

1. Ethics Newsline® » Statline » Public Ranks the Ethics and Honesty of Various Professions on November 24th, 2008 at 8:29 pm:

   [...] more information, see this week’s Research Report.  Print This Story  Email This [...]

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