Poll: U.S.gas price worries have ebbed

PRINCETON, N.J., Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Gas price worries have ebbed considerably among U.S. adults in the past month, Gallup researchers said.

In a survey in July, 5 percent of the respondents indicated a belief that gas prices would fall by the year's end, Gallup said Tuesday. This month, 37 percent of the respondents indicated the same thing, Gallup said.

Simultaneously, the number of those indicating gas prices would stay the same jumped from 6 percent to 21 percent.

Gallup said the poll of 1,009 U.S. adults taken Aug. 7-10 showed, "Republicans are a little more positive about gas prices than are Democrats and independents."

The overall switch reflects a slight turn in general feelings about the economy, Gallup said. In a poll taken in mid-July, 83 percent of those asked indicated negative views about the economy. In an Aug. 8-10 poll, that number had dropped to 73 percent, Gallup said.

The polls include a margin of error of 3 percentage points, Gallup said.