Nearly three in five Americans wrongly believe the US is in an economic recession, and the majority blame the Biden administration, according to a Harris poll conducted exclusively for the Guardian. The survey found persistent pessimism about the economy as election day draws closer.

The poll highlighted many misconceptions people have about the economy, including:

  • 55% believe the economy is shrinking, and 56% think the US is experiencing a recession, though the broadest measure of the economy, gross domestic product (GDP), has been growing.

  • 49% believe the S&P 500 stock market index is down for the year, though the index went up about 24% in 2023 and is up more than 12% this year.

  • 49% believe that unemployment is at a 50-year high, though the unemployment rate has been under 4%, a near 50-year low.

  • @Papergeist
    link
    26 months ago

    In the past, I have been a proponent of learning to cook. Meal prep can save you money, and it tastes better than mickey dee’s. I still believe this, but the bill at the grocery store is making it more and more difficult.

    So now, I’ve been researching gardening and I hope i can save money by growing my own vegetables. I think there are ways to get it going without spending a ton of money. Especially by using reclaimed materials that are free or close to it.

    The issue that concerns me is the amount of time it takes to get the compost pile going. There will be upfront costs if your soil is shit and needs to be amended. Which defeats the entire purpose of growing your own food.

    It sorta feels like we’re fucked whichever direction we look.