Technically, the so-called “Great Recession” ended in June 2009. So does it feel like an “economic recovery” to you? Fortunately for many Utahns – in part due to the generally conservative public policies put in place by Utah policymakers – the answer is “yes.”
But if you are one of those who answer “no,” then you’re like the rest of the country.
According to a recent Pew survey, 83 percent of Americans view the national economy as “fair” (43 percent) or “poor” (40 percent). By contrast, only 16 percent describe the economy as “excellent or good.” Additionally, 71 percent say either that “the economy is not recovering yet, but will recover soon” (31 percent) or that “it will be a long time before the economy recovers” (40 percent).
Further, more people say that they expect economic conditions will be worse a year from now (32 percent) than better (25 percent). What’s more, these numbers have declined dramatically since last year (44 percent “better,” 14 percent “worse”), meaning that people have become more pessimistic about the economy the longer the current “recovery” has gone on. Continue reading
