53% of Americans say the economy is off track as fired BLS chief calls it 'remarkably resilient'
Feb 22nd 2026
A Harvard/Harris poll finds a majority view the U.S. economy is headed the wrong way while former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner Erika McEntarfer says data have held up amid tariffs, slower hiring and policy uncertainty.
- 53% of respondents in a Harvard/Harris Poll say the U.S. economy is on the wrong track.
- Erika McEntarfer, ousted last year as BLS commissioner, described the economy as remarkably resilient but warned of policy related uncertainty.
- GDP jumped 4.4% in Q3 and reached about $31 trillion while the stock market has continued to set new records.
- Unemployment hovered around 4.4 to 4.5% and the U.S. added 584,000 jobs in 2025, the fewest annual total since 2020.
- Analysts estimate tariffs raised costs by roughly $1,000 per household last year and could add about 1 percentage point to inflation.
- Inflation averaged 2.7% in 2025 and the manufacturing sector lost about 72,000 jobs since April.