AUGUSTA (AP) – A new survey shows that Mainers’ pessimism over the economy is growing.

In Market Decisions’ poll of 400 Mainers, 56 percent say now is a bad time to make a major purchase. That’s more than double the 23 percent who thought it was a bad time to make a major purchase last July.

Also, 68 percent now say they foresee bad financial times for Maine businesses. That’s the highest level in the eight years – and sharply higher than the low of 15 percent of Mainers who expected bad times for businesses in July 2000.

The Portland firm conducted the poll from Jan. 28 and Feb. 25. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

AP-ES-03-11-08 1401EDT