Californians’ pessimism about the economy has reached the highest level since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest statewide survey published by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).
Most Californians think the U.S. and California are moving in the wrong direction and expect financial conditions to worsen over the next year. 33% of Californians say they and their family are worse off financially than one year ago, while half report increased financial hardship as a result of recent price increases.
The top five issues facing California are ranked as follows:
- Cost of living, economy, inflation (37%)
- Housing costs, availability (15%)
- Government in general (10%)
- Homelessness (8%)
- State budget deficit, taxes (7%)
Nationally, Californians are most concerned about political extremism and threats to democracy.
An overwhelming majority of Californians — 70% — disapprove of President Donald Trump. Congress has an approval rating of only 20%.
Governor Gavin Newsom doesn’t get tremendously high marks either. Only 44% of California adults and 46% of likely voters approve of his job performance. 41% of Californians and 46% of likely voters approve of state lawmakers’ job performance.
More than four in ten Californians believe the state budget situation is a big problem. 46% believe Health and Human Services should get top priority in the budget, while 39% say K-12 education should be prioritized.
The PPIC survey was conducted between May 22-29 and involved 1,600 respondents. Read the full survey here.