Most Americans expect a recession within a year and disapprove of President George W. Bush's handling of the economy even though the unemployment rate is at a five-year low, a new Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll found.
Six in 10 who were surveyed predicted a recession, similar to the 64 percent who anticipated the economy would contract in a December 2000 poll by the Los Angeles Times three months before the last decline. In the current survey, 71 percent of those earning less than $40,000 said they expect a recession compared with about half for those making more than $100,000.
``We're living on borrowed time,'' said Andrew Herring, 43, a chemical engineering professor at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado, who took part in the survey. ``We spend ridiculous amounts of money on the war and now we have issues with the subprime housing market,'' said Herring, a Democrat.
1.) This really brings consumer sentiment polls/readings under serious doubt.
2.) This shouldn't be too surprising. People are aware the government is spending a ton of money on everything under the sun, the subprime mortgage market has problems and the economy is slowing.
3.) I forgot to add increasing gas prices.
