New Jerseyans give subpar ratings to both the state and national economy, though they are more positive about New Jersey than the nation, as a whole, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll in partnership with New Jersey Organization for a Better State political action committee. New Jerseyans surveyed in a poll earlier this month are generally negative about the U.S. economy: 41% describe it as “poor,” 39% say “only fair” (up 11 percentage points since November 2024) and 18% “good” (down 9 points); less than 1% say the national economy is doing “excellent.”
Views on the national economy are net negative across the board, including across partisan lines. A majority of Republicans (62%) rate the national economy as either “only fair” or “poor,” though they do so to a lesser extent than Democrats (88%) or independents (82%). Republicans (37%) are three times as likely as Democrats (11%) and more than twice as likely as independents (15%) to rate the economy as “good.” Half or more of Democrats, Black residents, Hispanic residents, 18- to 34-year-olds, and those in households making less than $50,000 annually specifically rate the national economy as “poor.”
Residents are slightly more positive about New Jersey’s economy, though still negative overall: 26% rate it as “poor,” 37% “only fair,” 31% “good,” and 1% “excellent.” Views on the state economy have changed little since polled in the fall. To read the full story.