, Columnists
Debate: Why Are Americans So Down in This Economy?
People say they’re less satisfied with their lives amid steady growth and falling unemployment.
I don’t want to talk about it.
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The U.S. economy is growing, unemployment has reached lows not seen in almost two decades, wages are starting to rise and inflation is subdued. Yet lots of Americans say they're not particularly happy or satisfied with their lives. Bloomberg Opinion columnists Conor Sen and Noah Smith met online recently to discuss the state of Americans' personal well-being.
Noah Smith: How are Americans doing, overall? Earlier this year, consumer confidence hit a 17-year high. Recent numbers show that confidence cooling off a bit, but people are still very optimistic about the economy.