(Week of 3/31/2012) Americans are still not feeling the economic gains that have been made this year: only 14% in the latest Economist/YouGov Poll say their family is better off now than they were a year ago. 30% say they are worse off. Still, that represents a change in the last year; one year ago, more than four in ten said they were worse off than they were the year before.
27% of the country does see the economy improving — though that is matched by the 29% that see it continuing to get worse. These perceptions remain clearly partisan: 44% of Democrats see the country’s economy getting better, while 47% of Republicans think it is getting worse.
The economy dominates public concern, and it may still be the biggest hurdle that President Obama faces in his quest for re-election. Only 37% approve of how the President is handling the economy, and 36% approve his performance on health care. And his overall approval rating remains stagnant. This week, 41% approve of the way President Obama is handling his job overall, while 49% disapprove.
