Majority of Americans Say Economy Is Good -- Highest Rating Ever in 10 Years of CNBC Poll
The economic boom that has taken place on President Donald Trump’s watch is so strong that a new survey showed Americans are giving the economy its highest ratings ever.
For the past 10 years, CNBC has been conducting its All-America Economic Survey. Never before has it shown results like this, according to CNBC.
Fifty-four percent of those responding to the poll called the economy “good” or “excellent,” CNBC reported. That’s the highest number ever recorded in the 10 years CNBC has been doing the survey. The survey hit a low in pessimism, with 43 percent saying the economy is “fair” or “poor,” according to the network.
The survey makes the Trump factor clear: Upbeat views of the economy have risen 20 points since Trump was elected president.
The political component of the survey was not lost on Jay Campbell with Hart Research Associates, the Democratic pollster for the survey.
“There is a component of Democratic base that’s willing to acknowledge the improving economy and willing to give Trump a certain amount of credit for it,’’ Campbell said. “A large number still disapprove of Trump on the economy but 30 percent of Democrats is not nothing.”
The most recent unemployment numbers help explain why Americans are bullish on Trump’s economy.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that initial unemployment claims fell by 3,000, and that the four-week average of initial claims fell by 4,000. The four-week average is now at its lowest point since Dec. 8, 1973, according to a Labor Departemtn news release.
“This year is shaping up to be strong, the strongest since the recovery began,” said Sean McCartney, an executive vice president at Radial, a logistics company, according to the The New York Times.
He said the company will add 24,000 seasonal workers this fall for the back-to-school and holiday seasons. Jobs will be paying about $13 an hour.
“We have hundreds of open positions,” McCartney said. “We definitely could hire more than we have.”
Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta noted that across America, the demand for workers now exceeds the numbers looking for work.
“Never before have we had an economy where the number of open jobs exceeds the number of job seekers,” Acosta said, according to a Labor Department news release.
“This Administration is committed to ensuring that all Americans have the necessary skills to access good, family-sustaining jobs. With the lowest unemployment rate in over 18 years and 3.4 million jobs created since President Trump’s election, this is a great time be a job seeker in the United States.”
Trump’s administration is not resting on its laurels, but fighting trading partners Trump says have taken advantage of the United States.
“We have a very strong economy, and if the trade negotiations are successful, it’ll be even stronger,” said Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
According to CNBC, the poll showed that good marks on the economy increased Trump’s overall approval rating by 6 points, to 51 percent, while his disapproval rating dropped 10 points.
“People are so locked in to their partisan views that it’s really hard to move those approval numbers,’’ said Micah Roberts with Public Opinion Strategies, a Republican pollster. “The most consistent thing about his presidency is how much people who love him, love him, and how much the people who hate him, hate him.”
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