U.S. consumer confidence drops
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
The confidence of American consumers in their economy has slipped unexpectedly in July after it had risen the previous three months.
The Consumer Confidence Index dropped from 106.2 in June to 103.2 this July, the Conference Board said in New York. Analysts blame it on Amercians' increased fear over job security, wage perspectives, and rising gas prices.
But Lynn Franco, director of the board's Consumer Research Center, is unconcerned: "The overall state of the economy remains healthy and consumers' outlook suggests no storm clouds on the short-term horizon."
In the last months, several large American corporations have announced job cuts. Among them are Eastman Kodak, Hewlett-Packard, and Kimberly-Clark.
Private consumer spending is considered to be the backbone of the U.S. economy since it accounts for two-thirds of its Gross Domestic Product. However, in the last few years, the correlation between consumer confidence and actual retail sales has been questioned since consumers were spending money even when survey figures said they wouldn't.
Sources
- "The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index Dips In July (Press Release)" — The Conference Board, July 26, 2005
- "Job fears dent US consumer morale" — BBC News, July 26, 2005
- "U.S. Consumer Confidence Falls to 103.2 in July From 106.2" — Bloomberg, July 26, 2005
The text of this article has been released into the public domain. In the event that this is not legally possible, this article may be used for any purpose, without any condition, unless such conditions are required by law. This applies worldwide. Copyright terms on images, however, may vary, so please check individual image pages prior to duplication. Please note that this only applies to Wikinews content created prior to September 25, 2005. All content created after that date is released under a Creative Commons license which is mentioned at the bottom of each article. This is currently the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License. |