A new poll has found Americans are growing increasingly uneasy about the economy amid stubborn inflation and the trade war, with more than 70 percent of respondents saying they feel stressed about their personal finances.
The CNBC/SurveyMonkey poll released Friday found inflation has been the main cause of financial stress for Americans over the past three years, but 66 percent of respondents now say tariffs are adding to it.
A third of respondents said they have seen their net spending increase in the past year, while nearly a quarter saw a net decrease overall, and about 40 percent saw no change.
President Trump last week announced a sweeping tariff plan to overhaul the U.S.'s positioning in the global economy, though he significantly backtracked on more of the tariff regime earlier this week.
Trump has alternately said his aim is to get countries to reach more favorable trade agreements with the U.S. or to spur more manufacturing in the country.
But the survey's respondents signaled skepticism about where things are heading.
Less than half of respondents in the survey (43 percent) said they approve of the president’s overall impact on their financial situation, while 55 percent said they disapprove.
More than 70 percent said they are concerned about the impact of Trump’s tariffs will have, and more than half think the tariffs ultimately will negatively impact their personal finances.
Americans also are split on whether the tariffs will increase manufacturing jobs, with 37 percent saying they trust that Trump's efforts will spur more manufacturing jobs in the United States and about 38 percent saying they don't believe the strategy will be effective.
Asked specifically about which nonessentials they are trying to spend less money on: 59 percent said dining out; 51 percent said entertainment; 50 percent said clothing and personal items; 47 percent said travel; and 41 percent said hobbies.
CNBC/SurveyMonkey polled 4,200 American adults April 3-7 by online panel. The margin of error is 1.5 percentage points.
