Subscriber Optimism About Economy and Tech Plunges

Our subscribers got a lot more worried about the economy in the past month, our latest subscriber survey showed, an apparent reaction to Donald Trump’s election as president. Optimism plunged in the biggest shift since we began measuring attitudes two years ago.

Sentiment toward tech also turned sharply negative, both toward the sector and many individual companies, noticeably Apple. That also likely reflected a reaction to the election of Mr. Trump, who campaigned on the need to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. He has called for tariffs on Chinese-made goods and called for Apple to make iPhones in the U.S., both of which would likely hurt sales of iPhones and other consumer electronics by raising prices. He has also spoken against immigration and net neutrality, both issues of concern to tech companies.