Unemployment and the economy are viewed as the top problems facing the city for the third consecutive year, according to a survey commissioned by the Community Service Society of New York (CSS). Nine out of ten low-income New Yorkers say their family’s finances have not improved over the last year, and 36 percent say they are worse off this year; of higher-income earners, eight out of ten report no economic improvement for their family, and 21 percent say they are worse off. Additionally, low-income New Yorkers’ worries about housing have grown considerably over the past three years: In 2002, 18 percent said it was their greatest personal concern; as of last month, this number had risen to 30 percent. Meanwhile 57 percent of all New Yorkers said that federal policies have made things worse, and 41 percent of both income groups said things are “a lot worse.” The telephone survey was conducted between July 14 and August 1, with a total of 1,300 New York City residents age 18 or older, including 1,000 low-income respondents living below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. [9/6/04]