Monitoring trends for over 60 years
January 27, 2012
Consumer Confidence Higher Due to Job GainsIndex of Consumer Expectations | ||||
69.1 | 63.6 | 69.3 | +8.6% | -0.3% |
Current Conditions Index | ||||
84.2 | 79.6 | 81.8 | +5.8% | +2.9% |
ward optimism, the majority of consumers remain deeply
skeptical about the prospective strength of the economy.
Although twice as many anticipated an improved near- term
economic outlook compared with five months ago, consumers
were no more likely to expect their financial situation to
improve. Moreover, confidence in government polices remains
near an all-time low. Every sustained recovery in the past
half century has been foreshadowed by rising confidence in
government economic policies.
Record numbers of consumers spontaneously reported hearing
about recent employment gains, tying the 1983 record. When
asked about prospective changes in unemployment, consumers
were not as optimistic. Half ex- pected an unchanged rate of
unemployment, and the other half were equally divided between
expecting increases
and expecting declines. These expectations reflect a realism
that can be met by modest future job gains.
Personal financial prospects remained troublesome for most
consumers. More households reported recent in-
come declines than increases, for the 40th consecutive month.
Just one-in-four households anticipated financial gains in
the year ahead, but only half as many expected their
inflation-adjusted income to increase during 2012.
The Sentiment Index rose to 75.0 in the January 2012 survey,
up from 69.9 in December and last January's 74.2.
This marked the fifth consecutive month that the Sentiment
Index increased from its August low of 55.8. It re- mained
below last year's peak of 77.5 in the February 2011 survey.
The Expectations Index rose to 69.1 in January from 63.6 in
December but was just below last Janu-
Richard T. Curtin • Director, Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers • Phone 734.763.5224
Thomson Reuters PR Hotline: 646.223.7222 ext. 1 • http://press.sca.isr.umich.edu
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Documents associés | |
Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan: Consumer Confidence Higher Due to Job Gains |