THE ECONOMY ARE THE PRESIDENT: BRIGHTER DAYS AHEAD

CBS NEWS/NEW YORK TIMES POLL For release: Monday, May 3, 2010

6:30 PM (EDT)

THE ECONOMY AND THE PRESIDENT: BRIGHTER DAYS AHEAD? April 28-May 2, 2010

Americans still see a troubled economy, but there is optimism that things are changing. More people than at any time during this recession believe that the economy is improving. This improved economic forecast may have helped President Obama, too -- his approval rating for handling the economy is at its highest level in nearly six months.

41% of Americans say the economy is improving. It's a huge change from where Americans were at the start of the Obama Administration, and an eight point increase from last month. Just 15% say it is getting worse.

ECONOMY IS ...

Now

Getting Better

41%

Getting Worse

15

Staying the Same

43

4/2010 33% 23 43

1/2009 7%

54 37

Of course, the public still thinks things are bad. Most have not believed the economy was in good shape since the fall of 2007.

NATIONAL ECONOMY IS...

Now 4/2010

Good

26% 23%

Bad

72 77

2/2009 5%

94

10/2007 50% 49

Those who now see a good economy are more likely to see things getting even better, but even those who say things are bad now are not necessarily pessimistic. Just 20% of those who say the economy is bad say it is getting even worse; 30% of them say it is getting better.

President Obama's approval rating on the economy has also improved. 48% approve of his handling of the economy ? up five points in the last month, and the highest figure since last November.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S HANDLING OF THE ECONOMY

Now

4/2010

11/2009

Approve

48%

43%

49%

Disapprove

47

46

43

51% approve of the way he is handling his job overall ? not much changed from last month.

PRESIDENT OBAMA OVERALL JOB RATING

Now

4/2010

Approve

51%

50%

Disapprove

39

40

On non-economic issues ? like foreign policy and health care ? there has been less movement. 48% approve of the way President Obama is handling foreign policy, virtually the same as in February.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S HANDLING OF FOREIGN POLICY

Now

2/2010

11/2009

Approve

48%

47%

50%

Disapprove

38

34

36

On health care, there is still a negative assessment: 48% disapprove, while 44% approve.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S HANDLING OF HEALTH CARE

Now

4/2010

11/2009

Approve

44%

41%

44%

Disapprove

48

51

48

It's clear the economy is not yet out of the woods ? especially when it comes to job creation. More than a third of Americans say they are very concerned that someone in their household might be out of work and looking for a job in the next year. Nearly as many are at least somewhat concerned about that.

CONCERNED SOMEONE IN HOUSEHOLD WILL BE OUT OF WORK NEXT YEAR

Very concerned

34%

Somewhat concerned

30

Not concerned

35

-------------------------------------------------------This poll was conducted among a random sample of 1079 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone April 28-May 2, 2010. Phone numbers were dialed from random digit dial samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

CBS NEWS/NEW YORK TIMES POLL The Economy April 28 ? May 2, 2010

q1 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as President?

Approve Disapprove DK/NA

** TOTAL RESPONDENTS **

*** Party ID ***

Total Rep Dem

Ind

%

%

%

%

51

14

82

48

39

80

9

39

10

6

9

13

Apr10a %

50 40 10

q2 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling foreign policy?

Approve Disapprove DK/NA

48

17

78

43

38

74

13

37

14

9

9

20

Feb10a 47 34 19

q3 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the economy?

Approve Disapprove DK/NA

48

10

77

46

47

86

19

45

5

4

4

9

Apr10a 43 46 11

q4 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling health care?

Approve Disapprove DK/NA

44

11

73

40

41

48

86

21

45

51

8

3

6

15

8

q5 How would you rate the condition of the national economy these days? Is it very good, fairly good, fairly bad, or very bad?

Very good Fairly good Fairly bad Very bad DK/NA

3

4

2

2

1

23

10

36

20

22

45

51

41

45

43

27

33

19

29

34

2

2

2

4

0

q6 Do you think the economy is getting better, getting worse, or staying about the same?

Better Worse Same DK/NA

41

16

61

40

33

15

23

7

17

23

43

60

31

42

43

1

1

1

1

1

q7 Is your overall opinion of Israel very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable?

Very favorable Mostly favorable Mostly unfavorable Very unfavorable DK/NA

** TOTAL RESPONDENTS **

*** Party ID ***

Total Rep Dem

Ind

%

%

%

%

15

24

7

17

40

46

41

35

16

15

21

12

7

2

6

11

22

13

24

25

Sep06a %

18 47 20

5 10

Q8 BLANK Q9-q57 HELD FOR FUTURE RELEASE q58 ? q73 RELEASED SEPARATELY Q74 BLANK

q75 How concerned are you that in the next 12 months you or someone else in your household might be out of work and looking for a job -- very concerned, somewhat concerned, or not concerned at all?

Very concerned Somewhat concerned Not at all concerned DK/NA

34

26

35

37

30

30

30

30

35

43

34

31

1

1

1

2

Apr10a %

36 26 37

1

Sample sizes: Total Respondents

Total Republicans Total Democrats Total Independents

1079

320 380 379

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