63 percent are hurting, think U.S. has entered long-term economic decline

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28273423/

By Michael A. Fletcher and Jon Cohen
Washington Post
updated 2:31 a.m. ET, Wed., Dec. 17, 2008

WASHINGTON - The deepening recession has eroded the financial standing and optimism of a broad swath of Americans, nearly two-thirds of whom say that they have been hurt by the downturn and that the country has slipped into long-term economic decline.

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll also found that a rapidly increasing share of Americans -- 66 percent, up from just over half a year ago -- are worried about maintaining their standard of living. Nearly two in 10 said they or someone living in their household had lost a job in the past few months, and more than a quarter said they had their pay or hours reduced. And 15 percent said that at some point in the past year they fell behind on their rent or mortgage.