A new survey from Gallup has found that economic confidence has strengthened to its highest level in two years: “While still negative overall, Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index has improved each of the past two months to its highest point in two years, reflecting improved views of both current economic conditions and the economy’s direction. However, a steady majority of Americans continue to say recent price increases have created financial hardship for them.”
- Gallup: “The recent uptick in confidence comes at a time when national economic indicators are generally seen as solid or improving. Unemployment remains low, gross domestic product is beating expectations, the inflation rate is down from its high point, and the stock market -- which continues to surge -- hit a new high at the end of the latest poll’s field period.”
- The survey is the latest to indicate that strong economic data may slowly be filtering through to voters who have failed to reflect positive economic trends in polling data.
Figure 1: Gallup's Economic Confidence Index (Recent Trend)
Source: Gallup