Californians Gloomy On Economy - Even Though Most Are Making More Money
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) Despite the continuing boom of flashy industries like tech and more people moving in than out - turns out most Californians think things aren't all that golden in the State.
For the thirteenth year in a row, results of the California Field Poll show most voters are still pessimistic about the economy.
Ironically, when it comes to accessing their own situation, most say they're better off this year than last. Forty-eight percent saw an upswing in their own financial lives. Twenty-seven percent say things got worse for them this year and the rest said their income stayed the same.
But despite an increase in personal fortune, fifty percent describe the State as being in bad economic times.
Field Poll Director Mark DiCamillo says that may have a lot to do with views on unemployment which reached an all time high of 89% believing it was a serious problem in 2010. While those views have softened, 39% still think unemployment is a big concern and 46% say it's somewhat serious. "So it's not totally off the radar screen. But certainly the severity has gone down," said DiCamillo.
But it's not all doom and gloom. More than a third of those polled also believe the State's economy will improve in the next year.
That sentiment is not a surprise to pollsters. "Historically it takes a few years before voters see the State's economy different," DiCamillo said.
