High gas prices, failure of the government to control the federal deficit, and persistently high unemployment has soured the attitude of workers toward investing, a poll released Thursday says.

The poll conducted by Gallup for Wells Fargo & Co. shows investor optimism slid from February to May.

The investor optimism index measured by the poll fell to 33 in May from 42 in February. The index hit its all-time low of negative 64 in February 2009 as the stock market was hitting its bottom.

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