A new poll shows almost half of Michigan voters think the economy is weakening, while 1 in 6 say we’re in a recession, even though we’re not. The Glengariff Group surveyed 600 registered voters who say they are likely to vote in November. Pollster Richard Czuba says Republicans are more likely to believe inflation is worsening than Democrats or independents. But he says age shapes voters’ perceptions:
“And we’re seeing in the numbers that it’s younger voters, voters under 50 primarily, that this idea of inflation is new to them. Voters over 65 think to a large extent that prices are high, but the worst is past on inflation.”
Czuba says more than half the voters who responded said the inflation rate is running above 4 percent. It’s less than that; 3.4 percent in April, according to the Labor Department. The nation’s gross domestic product grew in the first quarter of this year, but at a slower annual rate than the end of last year.