An American Dream Slipping Away?
PAUL: Well, guess what? The economy hit a key milestone this week. We have, apparently, erased the number of recession era job losses and added even more on top of it.</s>BLACKWELL: Yes. We learned on Friday that 217,000 jobs were added last month and the unemployment rate held steady at 6.3 percent.</s>PAUL: Here is the thing. Despite those numbers, the state of the economy for a lot of Americans say it just doesn't feel solid, like it's on solid ground yet.</s>BLACKWELL: A new CNN poll found that for Americans who do not think the economy is in recovery yet, nearly a third of them think it will take more than five years to get there.</s>PAUL: Yes, and sadly, that goes to show just how out of reach the American dream feels for so many families. CNN's Alexandra Field has a look at that.</s>ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From Los Angeles.</s>ANN MARIE CHAPMAN, LOS ANGELES RESIDENT: My name is Ann Marie Chapman. I am 20 years old. I am a full-time mom and part-time student.</s>FIELD: To Phoenix --</s>KAVE VALERIE, PHOENIX RESIDENT: My name is Kave Valerie. I am 13 years old and I'm in eighth grade.</s>FIELD: To Atlanta.</s>ANDY SHELLY, ATLANTA RESIDENT: My name is Andy Shelly. I'm 50 years old. I work for United Parcel Service.</s>FIELD: Wherever you live, whoever you are, it's what meant to define us, however, we define it. The American dream.</s>VALERIE: The American dream? It means that we go towards a better life and we'll be able to achieve more than other countries.</s>CLAY TURNER, ATLANTA RESIDENT: I guess the American dream is, if there's something that you really want, you're able to go get it.</s>SHELLY: Successfully raise a family. No debt. So yes. I've reached the American dream. Am I rich? No. But I have peace of mind.</s>FIELD: Peace of mind that more Americans today can't seem to find.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Guns and violence.</s>SHELLY: Job security, crime, becoming a statistic.</s>FIELD: Some reasons are growing numbers that say the dream is slipping away. A CNN Money American dream poll finds about six out of 10 Americans believe it's out of reach. The numbers are more alarming among Millennials. They were badly battered by the economic downturn. More than half say the dream can't be attained. And if the next generation was always meant to be better than the last, 63 percent of people surveyed don't buy it. They now believe children will be worse off than their parents.</s>JAKE AHLQUIST, NEW YORK RESIDENT: It's not something that people can always achieve. It's not something most people can achieve, I don't think, in their life. It's too hard. It's crazy.</s>CHAPMAN: I am most definitely afraid for this next generation because money is already tight with the government at my age, for me. That the population is only growing. You know?</s>FIELD: Uncertainty fueling fear that the dream might not be reality.</s>VALERIE: For right now, I believe that I could be able to achieve better than my parents. But then for the time being, we don't know.</s>AHLQUIST: In the future, with the circumstances that we're in currently, it doesn't look like that's a thing achievable for most.</s>FIELD: Alexandra Field, CNN, New York.</s>BLACKWELL: You know, I am -- I want to know from you. And we were talking about it.</s>PAUL: We were just talking about this.</s>BLACKWELL: What, for you, is the definition of the American dream?</s>PAUL: Does it have to be financial?</s>BLACKWELL: Yes. Is it an economic dream always?</s>PAUL: I don't know. I mean, maybe it's just living in freedom. I don't know. But we want to hear from you. Tweet us and let us know what the American dream is and if you think it's slipping away. You can catch, by the way, the debut of Christine Romans' new show today at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. She's going to be talking about this. "CNN MONEY", taking a look at the American dream and why so many people feel that it's just not obtainable. That's today, 2:00 p.m. right here on</s>CNN. BLACKWELL: Here is a dream. A Triple Crown winner.</s>PAUL: Isn't it the truth?</s>BLACKWELL: California Chrome makes a run at the history books today. Will this horse be the one that finally breaks this 36-year dry spell?</s>PAUL: Plus Hillary Clinton putting some distance between herself and the president apparently. Could a 2014 book release hold answers for a possible 2016 presidential run and then some?