People have more faith in their own employer than leaders in government and business, according to a new study released Wednesday.
Overall, trust in institutions remains low, but business earned the highest marks, said the annual survey by the public-relations firm Edelman. The poll represented the company’s 21st analysis of public trust in major institutions and surveyed more than 33,000 people in 28 countries over the past several months.
More than half of U.S. respondents, 54%, said they trust business, which was more than was said for nongovernmental organizations, government or media. Nearly three-quarters of U.S. respondents said their own employer, in particular, was a mainstay of trust.
“Business has to help the country knit itself back together, to be the connective tissue, while the politics are sorted out,” said Richard Edelman, the company’s chief executive.
The findings continue a trend. Last year’s poll also showed crumbling trust in institutions amid anxiety about corruption, future employment prospects and the wage gap between the rich and middle classes.
