Hiring woes and 'super high' prices: Voters say Trump's progress on the US economy is mixed

This Michigander, a Republican, has seen the prices of basic food items fall in her rural area since Trump returned to the White House.

At the beginning of the year, things were a lot tougher. Gas was really, really bad and then we had problems with getting food trucked in because I live in a rural area, so prices shot up real crazy.

Where other people were complaining about $7 (£5.23) eggs, we had $11 (£8.22) eggs.

Some days it was like deciding whether the dogs ate or I ate. I'm on social security and I have a budget and I'm allowed food stamps, but I only get $24 a month and that doesn't buy a whole lot.

It's much better now, it's like night and day. We're aiming in a better place these days, things have completely come around from where we were a year ago.

An independent voter, this father of an 18-month-old boy has cut down his food budget after he discovered the shockingly-steep price tag for childcare.

It feels like the price of everything is rising.

Childcare costs are about $25,000 per year, which really surprised me. My parents might retire next year, which could help. I work as an engineer in data centres and my wife is an airline pilot, and neither of us want to quit our job to take care of kids.

It feels like Trump doesn't tell the truth about almost anything, so it's hard to know how the economy is actually doing. I'd grade him a 4 out of 10 for the economy, because he talks about it more than he actually does anything to help it.

Shrinkflation drives me crazy. We bought baby formula, a 32oz bottle, and then a little later when we went to buy it again it came in a 24oz bottle. Same product, just a smaller amount for the same price.

This Indiana Republican backs the president but feels he was better off in the first Trump administration than in the second... so far.

I know inflation is down, allegedly down, but prices for all kinds of other things are super high, electricity, all kinds of things.

I guess a lot of people wanted Trump to enforce immigration, I think that's probably hurting some of the economy.

There's so many things that he could be doing - that he is doing - but he's in so many places I think he just needs to focus in on a few things. He promised the economy would be the primary thing, but I don't know that it's completely been that.

In comparison from what I remember from the last Trump administration, I feel like I was doing a lot better then.

We still have a lot of things that [the Trump administration] is working through, so we'll see.

This independent voter is worried about how Trump's focus on foreign policy will ultimately impact the US economy.

For the first few months he'd reference the economy, but I can't tell you the last time I've seen reporters questioning Trump about the economy let alone he addresses it on his own.

My husband and I are honestly worried about an economic collapse.

We've been saving a lot of money - thinking of buying a house - but we have that in the back of our mind that if there is some sort of problem, we do have a full safe.

Politics and the economy are very much linked, so what our president does impacts the economy. So the threats to Greenland and Denmark and these remarks about Nato has made me quite anxious.

This registered Democrat graduated from university last year, and she has not been able to find work since, despite a job market the president has touted.

One year post graduation, I have not been able to find a stable job which is extremely impacting my life and my family's life as well.

It's not that I haven't applied for jobs. I've applied for jobs every single day. It's the fact that people are not hiring, partially because they cannot afford to hire.

You look at interviews where Trump says 'Oh, the job market has never been better, we've created more jobs than have ever been created before'.

As somebody who is actually going through that [market], I don't see the data, I don't see the proof.

This financial consultant, an independent voter, says his finances are "marginally ahead" of this time last year, but he's worried the gains won't last.

On the campaign trail, Trump consistently brought up all the problems with inflation, and his intent to tackle it very quickly. But once back in office, with this recent geopolitical activity with Iran and Venezuela, I think it has taken a back seat.

But it is clearly an issue for most Americans, and because of that he has kept it as at least a secondary priority.

I think tax breaks have helped push earnings higher for companies and the stock market is doing well because of that. I do not think the policies have created enough growth so that it overshadows the cost increases that we're seeing at the same time.

I hope that the Federal Reserve retains enough autonomy to manage independently. I think utilizing the justice department to threaten the Federal Reserve is very concerning.

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