Canadians believe country in recession

Canadians remain uneasy about the nation’s overall economic prospects even as they are more optimistic about their own personal fortunes, a new survey suggests.

Pollara Strategic Insights’ 22nd annual outlook poll reveals 57 per cent believe the country is in recession.

But that is lower than the 76 per cent that felt that way in last year’s survey.

“There’s what economists call a recession and there’s what people feel,” Pollara’s executive vice-president, Craig Worden, said Tuesday.

Pollara conducted an online poll of 1,501 Canadians from Jan. 25 to 30 with results considered accurate to within 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Of those surveyed, 575 were from Ontario.

Worden noted that while Canadians have a negative feeling about the nation’s economy, they are increasingly positive about their personal finances. About two-thirds — 65 per cent — felt at least one positive emotion about their own economic situation, with 39 per cent “optimistic,” 36 per cent “calm,” 34 per cent “confident,”19 per cent “happy,”18 per cent “proud,” 9 per cent “excited” and 8 per cent “inspired.”

In contrast, 48 per cent felt “at least one negative emotion about their financial outlook, with 35 per cent “worried,” 17 per cent “resigned,” 15 per cent “upset,”14 per cent “pessimistic,” 13 per cent “sad,” 9 per cent “ashamed” and 6 per cent “bored.”

“The increase isn’t that people see us in a period of strong growth, it’s entirely an increase of people — 19 per cent more Canadians — now seeing us in a period of moderate growth,” Worden said.

“Nobody’s throwing confetti in the air,” the pollster said.