The Gallup Economic Confidence Index rose six points last week to -30. While this marks the second straight week of improvement since the end of the federal government shutdown, confidence is still well below the -15 reading Gallup found in mid-September, in the weeks before the shutdown. It remains sharply […] Read more »
Consumer Confidence Declines to Lowest in Eight Months
Consumer confidence dropped last week to an eight-month low as Americans grew increasingly concerned the budget standoff in Washington will damage the world’s largest economy. The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index declined in the period ended Oct. 20 to minus 36.1, the lowest since February, from minus 34.1. More households were […] Read more »
A Very Expensive Tea Party
The recent government shutdown and confrontation over the federal debt ceiling gained the Republicans nothing, at best – and may have cost them politically as a party. But it slowed the economy and undermined confidence in public finances in a way that will have a significant negative impact on future […] Read more »
Economic Confidence Improves After Fiscal Deal
Americans’ confidence in the U.S. economy appeared to be improving after the partial government shutdown ended Thursday and lawmakers reached an agreement to avoid defaulting on the nation’s debt. Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index averaged -36 last week, up from -39 the prior week. This marks the first time economic confidence […] Read more »
U.S. Economic Confidence Tumbled During Shutdown
Gallup Editor-in-Chef Frank Newport discusses the recent drop in the Gallup’s U.S. Economic Confidence Index to –39 during the week of Oct. 7-13 — the lowest average so far in 2013. Gallup Read more »
Consumers’ Outlook for U.S. Economy Plunges to Two-Year Low
Americans in October were the most pessimistic about the nation’s economic prospects in almost two years as concern mounted that continued political gridlock will hurt the expansion. The monthly Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index expectations gauge plunged to minus 31, the lowest level since November 2011, from minus 9 in September, […] Read more »