Survey Finds Gloom Over Economy

Pessimism about the economy has reached a level unseen since the early 1980s, when the United States fell into the worst recession since World War II, according to a New York Times-CBS News poll published today.

Sixty percent of Americans believe the country is already in a recession, the poll found. About 55% of respondents said they believe the economy is worsening, while 40% said it is staying the same and 4% said it is improving. The survey was conducted in telephone interviews with 1,422 Americans from Aug. 16 to Aug. 19. The margin of error was plus or minus three percentage points.