Obama Approval Rating Surges: Gallup

President Barack Obama's approval rating has surged, according to the latest Gallup poll.

In the latest survey, 47 percent of America approve how Obama is doing his job. The results are the highest for Obama, the Democratic president seeking a second term, since July of this year. Also, it's a five percent improvement since the last Gallup survey, taken Dec. 16-18.

The number of Americans who disapprove of how Obama is doing his job also declined in the latest Gallup poll, down five points since the Dec. 16-18 survey.

Obama's surge perhaps coincides with recent reports that the U.S. economy is improving. Unemployment has dropped below nine percent and unemployment claims have also dropped in recent weeks below what many economists expected.