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Americans maintain happiness quotient, despite economy

‘Very happy’ people from last year stayed that way, Harris survey shows

By Sue Asci

May 15, 2009 1:25 pm ET

It stands to reason that a tight financial market would result in more unhappy people, but the belief that money cannot buy happiness gained some traction today with the release of a study by Harris Interactive Inc. of Rochester, N.Y.

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In a Harris Poll that surveyed 2,401 U.S. adults online April 13-21, 35% of respondents said they were “very happy” — the same percentage as a year ago.

And higher incomes did not necessarily raise happiness levels, the survey found.

In fact, 39% of those earning between $50,000 and $74,999 reported being “‘very happy,” compared with 36% of those with incomes of $75,000 and above.

Still, 67% of those polled said they worry frequently about their financial situation, up from 65% last year.

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