The signs of economic recovery have been present for a few months now. Last week we saw that the GDP had grown 3.2% in the 1st quarter of the year and unemployment is inching down (slowly). A new CBS News/Washington Post poll shows a sharp increase in the number of people who say the economy is improving.
Americans are more optimistic about the future of the economy than they were last month, according to a new CBS News/ New York Times poll. Forty-one percent of Americans now say the economy is improving, up eight points from April and more than at any time during this recession. Just 15 percent think the economy is getting worse, according to the poll, conducted April 28 – May 2.
There has also been a small bump in President Obama’s approval rating on the economy. In a five-point increase from last month, 48 percent now approve of the job he’s doing on the economy. That’s the highest approval rating on his handling of the economy the president has seen since last November. Forty-seven percent disapprove of his handling of it.
The recovery is still fragile but the economic policies pursued by the Obama administration are beginning to pay off. This will definitely help Democrats’ chances in November. Republicans hoping for a continued recession to help their chances in November may be disappointed.