Poll: Wealthy See U.S. Still in Recession

[/caption]

The majority of wealthy Americans feel the country remains mired in recession and don’t see recovery coming for at least another year, a poll finds.

Some 63 percent of wealthy Americans — with household income of at least $100,00 a year — believe the U.S. is still in a recession, 55 percent don’t see recovery coming until 2013 at the soonest, while 14 percent say the recession will not end at all, according to the January Ipsos Mendelsohn Affluent Barometer, CNBC reports.

Overall, the poll finds that 41 percent of affluent Americans are pessimistic about the economy, while 38 percent are optimistic.

The U.S. economy continues to improve from the Great Recession although sluggishly.

After a typical recession, the economy bounces back, although the slow pace of recovery has some questioning whether the country is stuck in a depression, an extended downturn interrupted by brief spates of tepid growth.

Other surveys are revealing similar worries.

About half of the country, or 46 percent, see the country stuck in a depression or even a depression, a Gallup poll finds.

The poll doesn’t bode well for President Barack Obama in an election year, as swing voters aren’t happy.

“Perhaps troubling for President Obama and other incumbent officeholders seeking re-election this year: political independents’ reading of the economy is closer to Republicans’ than to Democrats,’” Gallup reports.

“Just over a third of independents say the economy is growing, while about half say it is in a recession or depression.”