New Jerseyans view the national economy about as dimly as the rest of the nation, yet they feel notably better about their own financial and job situations, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton and SSRS Garden State Panel survey.

Questions in this release were fielded by SSRS, a nationally recognized polling and policy research firm based in Glen Mills, Pa., and a partner of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. 

New Jersey residents rate both the national economy and the job market much like Americans overall, with majorities giving each a negative review. Fifty-eight percent of New Jerseyans rate the United States economy as “bad” or “very bad,” nearly identical to the national figure of 57%. Similarly, 53% of New Jerseyans rate the U.S. job market negatively, compared with 49% nationally. The national figures come from the SSRS Economic Attitudes Tracker, fielded quarterly with a representative sample of U.S. adults ages 18 and older.