TOKYO (AP) - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso’s approval rating has slumped sharply to 36 percent, down 9 percentage points from late September amid growing concerns about the economy, a newspaper survey reported Monday.

The disapproval rating for Aso rose 15 points to 41 percent, according to the telephone survey conducted over the weekend by the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.

Since Aso took office on Sept. 24, fallout from the global financial crisis has led to record losses for Japël’s stock markets as well as escalating fears about the health of the world’s No. 2 economy.

Opponents of Aso’s Liberal Democratic Party say it has lost its mandate with voters, and have called for parliamentary elections soon.

Newspapers are predicting that Aso will dissolve the lower house plus or minus three percentage points.