Public approval of the Island?s economic conditions have slipped after a summer high, according to a survey conducted by Research Innovations on behalf of the .

Of the 403 people surveyed in a random telephone poll conducted between September 6 and 11, 11.7 percent rated economic conditions as excellent and 43.8 percent rated conditions as good. The percentage of individuals viewing the economy in a positive light is still well ahead of a post budget poll in March when only 4.2 percent of respondents had an excellent view on conditions and just 37.3 percent felt conditions were good. However the numbers have slipped from a high in July when 16.5 percent of respondents deemed economic conditions as excellent and 43.6 percent said they were good.

The poll?s margin of error is 4.9 percent.

While the summer results may have had a lot to do with people being generally more optimistic during the summer months, this latest poll was conducted just days after Hurricane Katrina hit the United States and oil prices around the world soared.

Men again came out as the more positive gender with 11.7 percent of males and 11.8 percent of females viewing economic conditions as excellent and 47.4 percent of males and 41.6 percent of females viewing them as good.

Older people remained the least positive about the economy, with just 6.8 percent rating it as excellent compared to 11.9 percent of those aged 36-54 and 15.7 percent of 18-35 year olds.

Since July, people in the lower income levels have become less impressed by conditions. While 19.8 percent of those earning below $50,000 and 17.8 percent of those earning $50,000-$100,000 gave the economy an excellent rating in July, in September, the numbers fell to 11.1 percent and 11.2 percent respectively. The higher income bracket however saw a marked turnaround with 16.3 percent of those in households earning $100,000 plus giving the economy a thumbs up compared to just 8.5 percent in July.

Black approval of the economy also fell between July and September with 18.8 percent of blacks rating the economy as excellent and 36.1 rating it as good in July compared to just 10.6 percent and 34.4 percent in September. In July, 10.3 percent of whites said the economy was excellent and 52.2 percent said it was good compared to September when 13 percent of white said it was excellent and 58.5 said it was good.

Pollsters also asked whether respondents felt the economy was generally moving in the right or wrong direction. In July, 36.7 percent answered in the negative and 45.7 percent answered in the positive. This time around 37.8 percent said it was moving in the wrong direction and 39.3 percent said it was moving in the right direction. Males were happier with the direction of the economy with 43.3 percent stating it was moving the right way compared to 36.9 percent of females.

While 42 percent of those aged 18-35 and those aged 55 plus approved of the direction of the economy, the middle class was least happy with just 35 percent stating it was moving the right direction.

This compares to July, when 52.4 percent of 18-35 year olds, 49 percent of 36-54 year olds and 34.7 percent of those aged 55 plus gave the direction a positive rating.

Across economic lines, those earning the most money remained the most content with the economy. As in July, 50 percent of those earning over $100,000 said it was moving in the right direction. Approval fell in the lower income brackets with just 28 percent of those in households earning under $50,000 approving of the economy?s direction in September compared to 45.3 percent of those in July.

White approval climbed in September while black approval actually fell. Just 34.3 percent of blacks approved of the economy this time around compared to 57 percent in July. Approval rose to 48.4 percent from whites compared to just 32.4 percent of whites in July.