Poll: Obama's approval rating dips

Obama's approval ratings for other major issues, such as handling the economy and federal deficit, also have dipped as respondents' concerns have risen over spending and the malaise swamping the economy, results from the poll released Monday indicate.

Just more than half of poll participants approve of the way Obama is addressing unemployment, which has topped 10 percent in 15 states and the District of Columbia, poll results show.

Overall, the president's approval rating was higher than his approval rating for individual issues, with 59 percent giving him positive reviews and 37 percent disapproving. However, overall approval slipped below 60 percent for the first time in the Washington Post-ABC poll.

Approval of Obama's handling of healthcare dropped from 57 percent in April to 49 percent, with disapproval rising from 29 percent to 44 percent, pollsters said.

Obama's approval rating on handling of the deficit was down to 43 percent.

Results are based on 1,001 adults interviewed by telephone Wednesday through Saturday. The margin of error is 3 percentage points.