A new poll conducted by CNN and Opinion Research Corp. found that only one in four Americans believe the economy is in good shape, CNNMoney.com reported.

But the 24 percent who think the economy is faring well represents a six-point increase since November, according to the poll. And though three-fourths of Americans say current economic conditions are poor, that’s the lowest that figure has been since August 2008.

The percentage who rate economic conditions as very poor is also down, to 35 percent from 44 percent in November.

“Economic optimism has grown by leaps and bounds in the Western states,” said Keating Holland, CNN’s polling director. “Fifty percent of Westerners said the economy was in very poor shape in November, but only 28 percent feel that way today.”

Holland said poll respondents who don’t have a college degree were the most optimistic.

“Among college grads, the number who say the economy is in very poor shape dropped by only three points, but it dropped nine points among people without a college degree,” he said.

The poll, which included 1,014 adults who were questioned by telephone, was conducted Jan. 14-16. It has an overall sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.