Markets Slide, Farmers Disappointed After Vague China Trade Summit

Americans are reporting heightened stress and uncertainty about their financial futures, according to a new CBS News poll that shows economic sentiment sliding to levels last seen in 2023. The survey captures a broad sense of unease that extends beyond immediate price pressures and into longer-term worries about opportunity and stability.

Three-quarters of respondents said their incomes are not keeping up with inflation, a figure that has held steady even as official data shows moderating price growth in some categories. Feelings of financial security have dropped compared with the same period last year, while descriptions of the economy as “uncertain” have risen sharply. That uncertainty appears tied to both day-to-day costs and larger questions about global supply chains and domestic policy choices.

Gas prices have become a more salient source of frustration for many households. Respondents pointed to volatility linked to developments in Iran and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, where daily fluctuations create planning difficulties for commuters and small businesses alike. At the same time, a growing share of Americans say opportunities for their generation are worse than those their parents enjoyed, reflecting concerns that extend beyond the current business cycle.

The poll also registers dissatisfaction with the economic approach taken by the Trump administration. Neither major party receives net-positive marks for addressing the cost of living, but frustration is particularly pronounced with the current White House’s handling of inflation and job security. Worries about artificial intelligence displacing work have added another layer, with sizable numbers expressing doubt that new technologies will produce broad-based gains rather than concentrated benefits for a smaller group of workers and firms.

These results arrive against a backdrop of already low baseline approval for economic conditions. The further deterioration suggests that recent policy moves have not yet restored confidence for a majority of households. Analysts note that when public views turn this negative and remain there, they often reflect accumulated experience with stagnant real wages and unpredictable expenses rather than any single data release.

The combination of immediate cost pressures and structural anxieties points to a public looking for clearer signals on how wages, technology, and trade will interact in the years ahead. Until those signals become more consistent, the poll indicates that economic stress is likely to remain a defining feature of household decision-making.