More than two-thirds of Americans, or 69%, feel that the nation’s economy is getting worse and headed in the wrong direction amid the highest inflation in four decades, according to a new poll.
An ABC News/Ipsos poll released Sunday showed that, in addition to Americans’ sour view of the economy, only 37% approve of President Biden while 62% disapprove, marking another poor survey statistic for the first-term commander-in-chief who has been urged by those in his own party not to seek a second term.
A jobs report from Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that 528,000 jobs were added in July and the unemployment rate was down to 3.5%. Still, rising costs are on the minds of consumers, with just 29% of those polled said they approve of Mr. Biden’s handling of inflation, which is at its highest level in 40 years.
The U.S. economy has seen two consecutive quarters of negative growth, an official indicator of a recession.
A silver lining for Democrats in the survey was a different hot-button issue: abortion.
Nearly half of Americans, or 49%, said they would back a political candidate in the upcoming November midterms who want access to abortion legal while 27% said they want a candidate who would limit access.
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The poll was conducted August 5-6 in English and Spanish among 665 adults. The margin of error was plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. Of those surveyed, 29% were Democrats, 25% were Republicans and 40% were independents.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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