Many Americans say economy is getting better

By Allison Linn, senior business writer

Americans - and particularly, the young, wealthy and liberal-leaning ones - are growing more optimistic about the economy again.

The percentage of Americans who think the economy is getting better hit 41 percent in January, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday.

That’s three percentage points higher than a year ago, and ties the highest level since Gallup began tracking this question in January of 2008.

The most optimistic people fall into three categories: those between 18 to 29 years old, those who make at least $90,000 a year and those who are Democrats.

The least optimistic: Republicans and those who are 65 and older.

The Gallup report is based on interviews with about 8,700 people. It comes amid a strong stock market rally and a string of reports indicating economic improvement. Those include Tuesday’s report that confidence among U.S. small business owners hit a three-year high.

Still, challenges remain, particularly for the millions of unemployed Americans out there. Although the U.S. economy is slowly adding jobs, the unemployment rate stood at 9 percent in January.