America’s mood is uneasy and worried. Amid continued inflation and stock market declines, large majorities describe their mood as such, and the percentage who call the economy bad has hit highs for the Biden presidency. The number who say things in the country are going badly overall is at the highest level of President Biden’s tenure, too, as pessimism about the market, the economy and prices drives views looking forward — and outweighs optimism about both jobs and coronavirus, as we head into summer.
Looking ahead, there is large — and growing — pessimism about the national economy, the stock market and inflation. In fact, outlook on the costs of things gets the most pessimism of the items tested, followed by pessimism about the national economy.
Most are also pessimistic about their plans for retirement, and on the heels of a stock market downturn, two-thirds of those who have money invested in the market are pessimistic about it.
But there is optimism about both jobs — a message the White House has stressed — and the effort against COVID-19. It’s just that those are both being somewhat outweighed right now in setting the public mood.
The public has never laid all the blame for inflation at the White House’s door. And while most people continue to disapprove of the president’s handling of inflation and the economy, those ratings have not moved much, for better or worse, perhaps because people remain pessimistic about those issues.
