A new Maru poll says 66% of Canadians believe the state of the economy is on the wrong track, up 64% from last month versus the one-third who think it is moving in the right direction.
Maru says most Canadians have consistently believed the economy is going in the wrong direction since November 2021, with the highest level of pessimism (70%) last reported in September and October 2023 and before that in October 2022.
Those most likely to believe the state of the Canadians economy is on the wrong track reside in Alberta (74%, up seven percentage points from last month), followed by Atlantic Canada (72%, down two percentage points from last month), Ontario (70%, up six percentage points from last month), British Columbia (55%, up two percentage points from last month), Québec (63%, up one percentage point from last month), and Manitoba/Saskatchewan (58%, down 12 percentage points from last month).
The wrong track economy group is led almost equally by women (70%, up two percentage points from last month) versus men (62%, up two percentage points from last month), those who are middle-aged (35-54 (69% up one percentage point from last month), versus the youngest, aged 18-34 (67%, up seven percentage points from last month), oldest 55 (63%, no comparison), and those with middle to lower income, less than $99,000 (68%, up two percentage points from last month), versus those with the highest earnings $100,000 and higher (60%, up five percentage points from last month).
The 34% who believe the Canadian economy is moving in the right direction are led by those in British Columbia (45%, down two percentage points from last month) and Manitoba/Saskatchewan (42%, up 12 percentage points from last month), men (38%, down three percentage points from last month)versus women (30%, down two percentage points from last month), the oldest Canadians (37%, no comparison), and those with the highest earnings of $100,000 or higher, 40% (down five percentage points from last month).
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland brings down her federal budget on April 16.
Source: Toronto Sun