Consumer sentiment extended its longest losing streak in 34 years this week, with another steep drop in ratings of the economy pushing the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index to its lowest since November 2014. But the CCI’s two other gauges stabilized, a hopeful sign as states seek to reopen their shuttered […] Read more »
Big Government? For Now, Most Americans Say Bring It On
The White House and some Republican governors are angling toward a cautious reopening of the economy, while G.O.P. leaders in Congress have tried to pump the brakes on future federal stimulus spending. But polling suggests the political winds may be flying against them. The American public remains broadly wary of […] Read more »
Jobs Supplant Health as Americans’ Top Concern
It is the eighth week of self-isolation and quarantine for me and many of you. … But, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The data suggest that the virus has peaked in many places—the number of new cases of COVID-19 are steady or decreasing. In response, there […] Read more »
Even as Economy Sinks, Partisans Remain Divided in Their Outlook of How It’s Doing
… Despite a very real drop in positive perceptions of the economy by both Republicans and Democrats over the last month, Republicans remain much more optimistic about the state of the economy than Democrats. In fact, according to data from the University of Michigan Consumer Survey the gap between Republicans […] Read more »
Half Of Americans Financially Affected By Coronavirus
Half the country has been personally economically impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, and overwhelming numbers of Americans do not think schools, restaurants or sporting events with large crowds should reopen until there is further testing, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll. President Trump does not fare very well as […] Read more »
Consumer Confidence Index Weakened Significantly in April
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® deteriorated further in April, following a sharp decline in March. The Index now stands at 86.9 (1985=100), down from 118.8 in March. … “Consumer confidence weakened significantly in April, driven by a severe deterioration in current conditions,” said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic […] Read more »