From ABC News, 4/21/04:
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/business/US/consumer_confidence_poll_040421.html
Improvement Short-Lived
Consumer Confidence Edges Lower
By Dalia Sussman
N E W Y O R K --
Consumer confidence edged lower this week, failing to sustain last
week’s modest gain.
The ABCNEWS/Money magazine Consumer Comfort Index, based on Americans’
ratings of current economic conditions, stands at -17 on its scale of
+100 to -100, down three points to end a gradual, eight-point advance
over the last four weeks.
The index is still holding higher than its recent low, -22 last month.
But it’s well below its level just three months ago, -3, and its
18-year average, -9.
The index is based on views of the economy, personal finances and the
buying climate.
Amid record-high gas prices, just 36 percent call it a good time to
buy things, three points off average and down seven points since
February.
Indeed, 54 percent in a new ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll say gas-price
increases have caused them financial hardship; 31 percent say it’s
been a "serious" hardship, up from 20 percent in 2002.
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Problems, problems, eh, Georgie?
Harry
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