There’s no denying that this election cycle is downright bonkers. And with an economy that is growing at whatever is slower than a snail’s pace ever since the recession, The Wall Street Journal is using Americans’ dark overall view of the economy as just one potential reason for the rise of candidates like Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump.
According to a recent survey by the Federal Reserve that details Americans’ economic sentiments, just 23% of people said they expected their income to be higher in the coming year. And most alarmingly, nearly half of the surveyed adults said they couldn’t cover an emergency expense costing $400 without selling something or borrowing money.
But maybe things aren’t all bad. The number of people who reported at the end of 2015 that they were “living comfortably” or “doing okay” increased from 65% in 2014 and 62% in 2013.
So what was the percentage of people saying that in 2015?
69%.
Nice.
