WASHINGTON — The economy trudges ahead, yet debt dogs many Americans, stressing them out even as they firm up their financial foundations.
There are new jobs being produced, but old worries persist for people despite belt-tightening and boosted savings, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll.
About 46 percent of those surveyed say they're suffering from debt-related stress, and half of that group described the amount of stress as "a great deal" or "quite a bit." On the other hand, about 53 percent say they feel little or no stress at all.
That is in line with findings from last year, even though times seem better today: The economy is growing and generating jobs, and households have made progress in repairing their financial footing, trimming debt, watching spending and saving more.
It's a big turnaround from a year ago — a shrinking economy and jobs jettisoned as businesses struggled to survive the worst recession since the 1930s.
So why aren't the stressed — and the not-so-stressed — feeling better? For starters, it just doesn't feel much like a recovery to many people. Unemployment is stubbornly high — 9.9 percent. The jobless face fierce competition for work. Those with a job are watching their paychecks shrink.
A growing number of people are at risk of falling into foreclosure, and only those with the most stellar credit probably can get a new loan. The AP-GfK polls show that only 20 percent say the economy is good, compared with 15 percent last year.
Ken Goldstein, economist at the Conference Board, a research group that keeps close tabs on consumers, says it is individual circumstances — more so than sentiment about the economy — that shapes people's confidence and their stress over debt.
"It's about what happens to me — my house, my car, my job," he said.