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By Knight Kiplinger

The Kiplinger Washington Editors

Jan. 2, 2009

2009: A Rough Start
But a Better Finish

The recession will be painful through the first six months of the new year, but a recovery will start in the second half. This week�s Kiplinger Letter looks at the pluses and minuses of the economic picture and explains how you can tell when an improvement is close.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Metal Prices, Small Business, Selling, Health, Obama's Cabinet, Regulations, Water Highways, Coal and the Middle East

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About a year ago I started a golf accessory online business . I would like to know how I can best market the site to get more visibility from customers as well as differentiating myself from other golf online store.

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Economy Weighs Heavily on Presidential Race

The economy outpaces any other issue in the campaign by far -- and the anxiety goes beyond the downturn. Inflation and unemployment worry people as well.

Worth Reading: The Quick Take from Kiplinger

August 2008

The Pew Research Center

The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press is an independent opinion research group that studies attitudes toward the press, politics and public policy issues. The center's purpose is to serve as a forum for ideas on the media and public policy through public opinion research. It is one of six projects that make up the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan institution that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world.

Not only is public anxiety about the overall shape of the economy growing, but more people are worrying about the pressures that inflation is putting on their budgets and getting nervous about job security. Even relatively well-to-do people say it is getting harder to find good jobs.

However, a poll taken in late July by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press also shows that most Americans believe Washington has the ability to fix the economy -- only a quarter say the government is powerless to do anything to improve the economic situation. A huge majority, 87%, say who ends up being elected president makes a difference when it comes to the economy, and 64% say it matters a great deal. That and the fact that the economy is far and away the top issue on voters� minds is good news for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. By a wide margin, 47%-32%, those surveyed believed Obama could handle economic issues better than Republican opponent John McCain.

The number of people saying the sharp rise in prices is the biggest economic problem facing the country has nearly doubled to 45% from 24% in February -- a stunning but not altogether surprising jump, given the dramatic increase in the price of gas and food. Most Americans, 58%, say jobs are difficult to find where they live, while just 31% say plenty of jobs are available. Nearly three-quarters, 73%, say good jobs are tough to find. But what is particularly startling is that two-thirds of those with family incomes of $100,000 or more say good jobs are difficult to find locally. All of this is bad news for businesses, since people often spend less when they are nervous about the employment picture and the health of the economy as a whole.

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