Despite the country experiencing strong job growth, a new poll finds that a majority of Americans do not believe the economy is doing well — and that is weighing down President Joe Biden’s approval rating.
According to a CBS News/YouGov poll released on Sunday, a majority of Americans believe their local job market is “good.”
But an even larger majority said they believe that the national economy is “bad.”
“This week’s positive jobs report and the stronger employment rate aren’t entirely lost on Americans — just outweighed when they rate the economy,” CBS News reports.
The poll found that 42% of Americans approve of Biden’s job performance, marking a new low.
In a March 2021 CBS News/YouGov poll, Biden’s approval rating was 62%
The most recent poll found that 76% of respondents said they believe the economy “should be a high priority,” while 73% said inflation should be a high priority. Meanwhile, 59% said crime should be a high priority, and 48% chose immigration.
Many do say the job market is good and that jobs have increased over the last year – but it's still inflation driving views, and even those who say the job market is ok still don't rate the economy well. https://t.co/R0TdqRsVrJ
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 10, 2022
But Americans disapprove of Biden’s handling of those issues.
On the issue of crime, 39% approve, while 61% disapprove. Thirty-eight percent approve of his handling of immigration, while 62% disapprove.
And 37% approve of his handling of the economy, while 63% disapprove.
Biden received the lowest marks for his handling of inflation, as 31% approve and 69% disapprove.
Sixty-six percent of respondents said that higher prices have been “difficult or a hardship,” while 26% said they are “inconvenient,” and 8% said they had “no effect.”
Among respondents who believe that the economy is in bad shape, 86% blamed inflation, 82% blamed higher gas prices, and 69% blamed shortages of goods and services.
And 50% said they “don’t trust the Biden administration.”
The survey also found that higher prices are influencing Americans’ behavior.
Sixty-six percent said they have cut back on entertainment activities, 66% said they cut back on travel, 64% said they are driving less, and 53% said they are cutting back on food and groceries.
In February, inflation rose to a 7.9% annual rate, a four-decade high. And according to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of gas is $4.11, up from $2.86 a year ago.
The poll was conducted April 5-8 and surveyed 2,062 adults.