Some doubt the official statistics that show growth and low unemployment.

“I believe we’re working in a false economy right now,” said Stephen Archer, a 48-year-old machinist from Cobb County, who supports Trump. “I don’t believe these are true numbers.”

The most pessimistic in the AJC survey were younger people, whites and workers who did not go beyond a high school education. That matches the data showing younger workers more likely to take on extra jobs as they handle both inflation and student debt, said Loujaina Abdelwahed, an economist at Revelio Labs, a company that specializes in workforce research.

“While headline economic indicators look rosy, they fail to reveal the nuanced reality for millennials,” she said.

In contrast, Black voters tended to be more upbeat than whites about the economy, but also more likely to put unemployment above inflation as a concern.

Apollo Brooks, 38, lives in Henry County, but works on sailboats in Miami. Brooks, who is African American, said job prospects have improved since Trump left office.

“When Trump was in office, my company was laying people off. They were tying up boats and laying people off,” said Brooks, who plans to vote for Biden. “With Biden in office, they’re trying to hire more people. That’s what I look at.”

Brooks’ response is consistent with Black workers as something of a bellwether on the job market. Black unemployment has always been higher than the national average, and when the economy turns down, Black joblessness is often the first to soar. But coming out of the pandemic, Black unemployment has been near its all-time low.

Policy division

Politics also figures in poll answers, with Republicans generally less upbeat on the economy and Democrats more positive.

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