Economic worries put Americans in sour mood

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Deepening worries about the economy and their personal finances put Americans in a sour mood this month, with more voters fearing a recession, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

The Reuters/Zogby index, which measures the mood of the country, fell from 97.3 to 94.2, its lowest number since polling began in July.

Approval ratings for President George W. Bush held steady at a low 31 percent in January, and positive ratings for the Congress inched up slightly from 13 percent to a still miserable 14 percent.

But heightening concerns about personal finances, job security, the direction of the country and a possible recession sent Americans into a post-holiday tailspin.

The poll found 48 percent of Americans expect a recession in the next year, up from 43 percent last month, and a growing majority of more than two-thirds think the United States is headed in the wrong direction.

"Voters are in a funk about the economy," pollster John Zogby said. "There is absolutely no question the economy is really weighing on people's minds."

The poll was taken on Thursday and Friday, a week after the government reported a jump in unemployment to 5 percent in December, the highest in two years.

Plunging stock markets, a housing crisis and high gas prices also contributed to the gloomy economic outlook, with a growing chorus of analysts predicting a recession.