PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans' outlook for the U.S. economy has deteriorated over the past week, with the percentage saying things are getting worse rising from 80% in late February to 85% in Gallup Poll Daily tracking conducted March 2-4.
The 85% "getting worse" percentage is the most negative Gallup has registered this year.
Perceptions of current U.S. economic conditions also remain highly negative. More Americans consider conditions "poor" than call them "excellent" or "good" -- 37% vs. 21% -- a pattern that has been gradually worsening since mid-January. -- Lydia Saad
Methodology: Gallup is interviewing no fewer than 1,000 U.S. adults nationwide each day during 2008. The economic questions analyzed in this report are asked of a random half-sample of respondents. The results reported here are based on combined data from 1,534 interviews conducted March 2-4, 2008. For results based on this sample, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
