Poll: Most Americans say economy is in a recession or depression
By Sommer Brokaw

A new poll shows 71 percent of Americans believe that the U.S. economy is in a recession or depression after businesses started reopening in recent months after COVID-19 stay-at-home orders were lifted. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

May 30 (UPI) -- Since mid-April, most Americans have said they believe the country is in a recession or depression, a new poll shows.

Seven out of 10 U.S. adults surveyed for the Gallup Poll released Friday said they believe the U.S. economy is in a depression or recession. At or above 70 percent of U.S. adults have said the same since mid-April.

In the latest poll, 41 percent said the economy is in a recession and 30 percent said it is in a depression.

The figure has risen from March, when 37 percent said the U.S. economy was in a recession and 20 percent said it was in a depression.

Democrats were much more likely than Republicans to say the U.S. economy was in a depression or a recession. Only 48 percent of Republicans say the country is in a depression or recession compared to 87 percent of Democrats.

Still, both parties are 12 to 18 percentage points more likely now to say the country is in a depression or recession than they were in late March, polls show.

The poll comes amid businesses across the country reopening in recent months after stay-at-home to reduce the spread of COVID-19 were lifted.

Results were based on web surveys, May 18-24, of a random sample of 3,892 adults with a margin of error of 3 percentage points.