Economy, Gallup Poll | featured news

In the wake of the controversial 7.8% unemployment rate reported by the U.S. Labor Department earlier this month, Gallup today said that its nonseasonally adjusted rate fell from 7.9% at the end of September to 7.3% in mid-October. That is a new low since Gallup began collecting employment data in January 2010.

The hard-won, last-minute agreement to raise the debt ceiling and cut the deficit gets low ratings from Americans, who by more than 2-1 predict it will make the nation's fragile economy worse rather than better.

President Obama's job-approval rating has slipped below 50% in the Gallup Poll for the first time in his presidency, pulled down by concerns about the economy, federal spending and health care legislation. In daily tracking from Tuesday through ...