A recent poll conducted this past March showed startling (yet predicted) results about how New Jerseyans felt about the state’s economy.

A majority of state residents weighed in, saying how they are having trouble making ends meet, and they believe their state is on the wrong track, according to Philly Voice.

The poll was conducted by Stockton University’s William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy, and it measured the Garden State’s views on economic inequality. A researcher for the center commented on how this survey allowed residents to voice how they have been effected by the economic conditions of the state.

The survey found that the majority of NJ residents believe the U.S. is still going through a recession. Even more alarming, 79 percent believed the U.S. economy to be in poor or fair conditions.

For New Jersey, 55 percent of poll takers weighed in saying how their income is falling below the cost of living. 66 percent also said how they believe the economy is on the wrong track.

This survey wanted action. It was the residents of NJ indirectly saying to their representatives and politicians how they wanted to see change, and they wanted this change to start happening.

The poll was conducted by cellphones and landlines, meaning the respondents willingly participated and were those who already had something to say about the state of NJ’s economy.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment rate has gone up in Ewing, NJ since this past December. Just last April, the Ewing Township’s revenues lagged behind its expenses, but mayor Bert Steinmann had plenty to say about the positive state of the economy.

“We now have an airport that’s a viable airport that’s sustained our economy, brings our tax rate down and attracts new business.” He said during the MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce event at the Trenton County Club.

Although these polls have surfaced, Steinmann has continued to boast about the boom of business and the economy in Ewing. He even mentioned the Campus Town project to NJ.com, saying how the retail space will only contribute to a sustained economy as the years come.

However, as these expansions for retail space continue, Steinmann stresses the importance of local businesses and the importance those businesses have on the township’s economy.

“We have the large companies, but if it wasn’t for the mom-and-pop stores, we couldn’t survive,” he said “People still use local businesses, so don’t be afraid of the future of change. If we do not have change, towns like us just fade away.”