Poll: Americans Concerned About Economy, Don’t Really Care About Deficit

A new New York Times poll shows that voters’ top concerns have shifted over the last two months.

For one thing, voters are much less concerned about the federal deficit. Only 7% of respondents in June thought the budget deficit was the most important problem facing the country, while in April, that number was 15%.

Instead, voters appear more concerned about jobs and the state of the economy. A full 27% of people listed the economy as the number one problem facing the country in the latest survey, compared to only 18% in April. And 26% are now most concerned about jobs, a slight increase from the 21% who felt that way in April.

When asked to specifically exclude unemployment, a plurality (36%) of respondents declared that the budget deficit was the national economic issue that concerned them most. A close second, though, was rising prices (33%), followed by financial markets (14%) and the housing market (13%). [New York Times Poll]