CBS News poll finds Americans anxious about finances and economy

A broad share of Americans said they are financially squeezed, with three-quarters telling CBS News and YouGov that incomes are not keeping up with inflation and 44% rating their own financial situation fairly bad or very bad. CBS News executive director of elections and surveys Anthony Salvanto said views of the U.S. economy had fallen to levels not seen since 2023, a sign that the sour mood has outlasted the latest round of inflation data.

The May 13-15 survey of 2,064 U.S. adults showed frustration reaching beyond the grocery aisle. Americans described the economy as “uncertain,” and most said their feelings about the administration’s economic approach were either “frustrated” or “angry.” The poll found that gas prices were weighing more heavily on households, while uncertainty about Iran and the day-to-day security of the Strait of Hormuz added another layer of concern to the price pressure people already feel at the pump.

The numbers also point to a widening gap between how the White House talks about the economy and how many voters experience it. Two-thirds of respondents said President Donald Trump’s policies were making the economy worse in the short term, even though some were more hopeful those same policies might help over the long run. Trump’s approval ratings on the economy and inflation continued to slip, and even among Republicans his standing on inflation fell behind his marks on other issues. The report put Republican approval at 89% on immigration, 85% overall and 63% on inflation, a sharp sign that price pressures are cutting deeper than other parts of his agenda.

That tension matters because it shows the economy is being judged less by headline indicators than by daily budgets. When Americans say paychecks are not keeping up, they are talking about the gap between nominal wage gains and the costs of food, gas, rent and other essentials. Pew Research Center reached a similar conclusion in a Jan. 20-26 survey, finding that 72% of U.S. adults rated economic conditions fair or poor, with especially high concern about health care, food and consumer goods, and housing costs.

The broader picture is one of persistent financial anxiety rather than a brief stumble. Worries about jobs are growing too, as more Americans say artificial intelligence could take work away and a growing number feel opportunities are worse than they were for their parents’ generation. For households already stretched by prices, the poll suggests the economic recovery is still not being felt where it counts most: in the weekly budget.