More than half of Americans believe the U.S. economy is on a downward trend, according to the results of a new survey.
A Gallup poll concludes that 59 percent of people think the sluggish economy is "getting worse." Thirty-seven percent said it is "getting better."
That 22-point gap is the worst since last summer, the Gallup figures show.
Mark Hamrick, a senior economic analyst at BankRate.com,
told CNBC he believes the that presidential candidates Donald Trump and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders have given an impression of the economy that has led to more Americans feeling frustrated at the economy's growth.
"There's a clear feeling through the campaign that helps explain what the data don't tell us," Hamrick said, adding that Americans have "a frustration with the lack of underlying momentum and vitality" in the economy.
The same Gallup poll showed the U.S. economic confidence index dropped to -14 last week, down from -10 the week prior. The latest number is the lowest figure since last November.
"Americans' views of the national economy have been somewhat turbulent over the last several weeks, with confidence improving one week only to fall the following week," Gallup's Justin McCarthy said. "From a broad perspective, economic confidence so far this year has neither moved into a sustained period of positivity nor entered into a steady decline.
"Americans are confronted with presidential candidates using the economy as one of their talking points, mixed signals from national economic reports, volatility in the stock market and an apparent end of sub-$2 gas prices nationally — all of which may be affecting their economic assessments."
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