What Is The State of Your Economy?

Why do strong economic numbers feel so bad? Justin Wolfers says there are three economies, not one.

Unemployment is 4.2%, the stock market is near a record, and GDP is growing — so why does your grocery bill, your rent, and your fill-up tell a different story? In this live call-in on NPR's The Middle with Jeremy Hobson, economist Justin Wolfers gives the economy three grades at once: an A if you own stock and a company, a B if you look at the lived reality of regular folks, and a C for how people actually feel — consumer sentiment at the lowest level ever recorded. The puzzle isn't a mystery, he argues: the share of Americans who think economic management is poor beats the share who think it's good by 66 points, an all-time high.

From Justin's conversation with Jeremy Hobson on NPR's The Middle, alongside CNBC's Steve Leisman.

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