Poll: Dim view of economy as election nears

WASHINGTON » Most Americans view the nation’s economic situation as bleak, but a rising percentage also see signs of stability six weeks before Election Day — if not reasons for optimism.

According to a new poll from The Associated PressNOR CC enter for Public Affairs Research, 60% of Americans describe the national economy as poor and 40% deem it good. That’s a rebound in confidence from low points in April and May, when just 29% called the economy good as the coronavirus pandemic took hold of the country.

About 4 in 10Americans (43%) expect the economy to improve next year, about the same as in July. But just 28% said they expect things to get even worse, a slight improvement fromthe 35% who said so in July and a significant improvement from May, when 40% expected things to continue getting worse. This month, 27% expect no change in economic conditions in the next year. That relative hopefulness may say more about the nation’s politics than the underlying health of the economy.

President Donald Trump is seeking reelection against Democrat Joe Biden with stock market gains as a rallying cry. The unemployment rate has improved, but remains high at 8.4%, and lawmakers have failed to agree on additional aid for Americans suffering financially due to the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the continued toll from the virus, including the loss of schooling and revenue shortfalls for state and local governments, threatens the prospect for a wider recovery.

The poll found that 67% of Republicans call the economy good, compared with16% ofDemocrats. Republicans are significantly more likely to expect the economy to get better than worse in thenext year, 64% to 14%. Among Democrats, 39% expect things to get worseand28% expect them to get better, while 32% expect no change.