A new poll by CNNMoney.com suggests that as a result of difficult economic conditions almost half of US citizens feel worse off now than they did at the end of the last recession.

So far, the results show that 43 per cent of people believe the economy is "very poor" at the moment and 47 per cent feel worse off than they did in 2001.

According to CNN, this is hardly surprising since house prices have fallen dramatically in many areas of the country while the price of food and gas has risen rapidly.

However, the poll also shows that 42 per cent of citizens feel better off now than they did seven years ago, suggesting that there are plenty of people who are getting by in spite of the downturn and rising debt levels.

CNN believes this could be down to unemployment levels, which are "still not at a level that you'd typically find in a serious recession".

The number of homes in foreclosure is also relatively small when examined in context, the news provider points out.

Last week, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke warned that the outlook for US inflation remains "highly uncertain".

-----------------------------------------------------------------------