U.S. economic confidence has been steadily improving, but has yet to recover from the financial crisis, according to new survey data released Tuesday.
Only 44 percent of Americans think that the economy is in good shape, the Pew Research Center reported Tuesday. Although a full 27 percentage points higher than during the depths of the crisis in 2009, U.S. economic views still are, on balance, negative, and have been since 2007.
Only Americans who identify as “liberal” see the economy as in good shape, with 55 percent of that group saying so. Moderates and conservatives are more likely to think that it’s struggling.
Pew’s survey was conducted in 12 countries in May. In terms of perceptions of the economy, the U.S. is in the middle of the pack as President Obama’s second term comes to a close.
While the vast majority of respondents in Germany and Sweden think that commerce is in good shape, those in Greece, Spain, Italy and France remain depressed by years of high unemployment and slow or no growth.
In China, nearly nine in 10 people think the economy’s performing well.
In Canada, perceptions are headed downward. As many Canadians view the economy as bad as think it’s good, this marks only the second time since 2002 that Pew has found that people don’t think the country is doing well.
