Peach Tree Times

Georgia residents have expressed displeasure with the state of the economy, with some fearful of the consequences of the ongoing pandemic as well as rising costs.

Only 32% of Georgians feel they are better off financially than a year ago, and 42% said they are doing worse, the University of Georgia reported in a poll conducted in January. One of the main concerns has been inflation, which has increased at its fastest rate since the beginning of the '80s.

"When it comes to inflation, 51% of Georgians say that the economic problems 'are the result of government policies and won’t change until we change the political leadership,'" The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The first year of President Joe Biden's presidency has been filled with dramatic ups and downs, McLaughlin & Associates reported in poll conducted in January. The majority of the nation has been critical of the job he has done and is concerned about the direction of the country.

Georgia's unemployment rate is at an all-time low with the state adding approximately 200,000 jobs last year, but many Georgians feel their financial situation is actually worse than last year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The McLaughlin & Associates study polled 1,000 likely voters between Jan. 13-18 as part of a monthly survey of national trends about the political environment in the U.S. The results show 62% of Americans believe the economy is getting worse, while only 30% say it is getting better. At the beginning of the Biden administration, however, the general opinion of the U.S. economy was more evenly split. A year ago, 52% of Americans believed the economy was worsening while 41% said it was improving.

Last month's polling, however, shows only a slight difference regarding an economic recession compared to America's outlook a year ago, McLaughlin & Associates reported. The study showed that 52% believe the country is in a recession while 40% believe the economy is not. When asked in March 2021, 49% of Americans felt the U.S. economy was in a recession while 42% did not.

The survey also showed that 59% of people in the Eastern region of the country feel that the nation is on the wrong track, with 31% saying it is in the right direction, McLaughlin & Associates reported.

Biden currently has a 41% approval rating with 57% disapproving, which is a negative trend for the president, who had a 55% approval rating in March 2021, McLaughlin & Associates reported.