Poll: New Hampshire residents more confident about recovery

(The Center Square) – New Hampshire consumers are becoming increasingly optimistic about the state’s post-pandemic recovery, according to a new poll.

The poll, released Thursday by the University of New Hampshire’s Survey Center, found that Granite Staters are not only confident that the economy will recover, but about when it will recover.

About 29% of the survey’s respondents said they believe the state will recover to pre-pandemic levels within the next 12 months.

That’s down substantially from a similar poll taken in February, when about 58% said it would take more than a year for the state to recover, pollsters noted.

Another 22% said they believe recovery will happen in the next six months, while 16% said they expect it within three months.

The proportion of Granite Staters who believe it will take more than a year for the economy to recover has fallen dramatically – from 58% to 29% – since a similar poll in February.

The state’s improving public health metrics are reflected in people’s attitudes about public gatherings and other activities that were heavily restricted during the pandemic.

About 50% of the respondents said they would be comfortable going to stadiums for sporting events, while a similar amount said they would be OK with attending a large concert.

Nearly 80% said they would be comfortable eating in a restaurant inside while another 58% said they would be all right with going to a bar.

Thirty-eight percent say they always wear a mask or face covering while shopping at a grocery store or pharmacy, down from 83% in May, the UNH pollsters said

Overall, a majority of New Hampshire residents say they are experiencing lower levels of stress from the COVID-19 pandemic than last year, the poll revealed.

Interestingly, survey respondents who are vaccinated for COVID-19 said they were more likely to continue wearing a mask than those who haven’t received their shots.

The poll of 1,602 New Hampshire residents was conducted between June 17 and 21. The margin of error is 2.4%, according to the pollsters.

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