Americans' perceptions about the economy are improving.
Though nearly two-thirds of Americans say they hear a mix of good and bad economic news, 28% say they hear mostly bad news, down from 35% in September, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
Roughly one-third of Americans say news about real estate values is mostly bad, a drop from 43% in September, and 26% say they hear mostly bad news about financial markets, down from 37% in September. Perceptions of news about jobs improved as well, with 42% saying they hear mostly bad news, compared with 52% who said in September the news about jobs was mostly bad.
The percentage of people saying they hear mostly good news about the economy (8%) remained roughly unchanged. Perceptions of news about gas prices remained overwhelmingly negative (72%).
"People continue to say they hear bad news about gas prices, but fewer say they hear bad news about jobs, real estate, and the financial markets in particular," Michael Dimock, the Pew Center's associate director, said in an interview. "And while they may not know all the details about what the particular metrics are or where the Dow [Jones Industrial Average] is at any moment or what the indices say, they really get the gist of the news very quickly."
The survey comes amid both a surge of positive news about
Dimock said the trend runs in both directions, and that the public can internalize a pileup of negative news about the economy quickly, too. He said the battle between the president and Congress in August 2011 over whether to lift the U.S. debt ceiling sent public perceptions about the economy to lows not seen since the depths of the financial crisis.
"People's core mood doesn't necessary turn on a dime even though they are digesting pretty quickly impressions from what the news is saying," Dimock added.
