Americans’ views of President Barack Obama have improved slightly in the past two months, and opinions are more positive about the direction of the country and the health of the economy, an Associated Press-GfK poll finds. A slim majority now approves of the way Obama is handling unemployment, according to […] Read more »
Anxiety and Interest Rates: How Uncertainty Is Weighing on Us
Anxiety and uncertainty are weighing on individuals even where the overall economy is growing. Some of this angst is the fallout from advances in information technology. … Along with this enormous problem is the psychic cost of growing income inequality. Poor people, who see themselves slipping further and further behind, […] Read more »
Obama’s approval ratings benefit from good economy but have low ceiling
President Obama’s standing with the public likely will continue its recent upward trend following the latest positive economic news, but new data on the country’s polarized politics suggests he’ll soon bump up against a low ceiling. CONT. David Lauter, Los Angeles Times Read more »
Consumer Comfort in U.S. Declines From Highest Level Since 2007
Consumer confidence declined last week from the highest level in more than seven years as Americans’ attitudes about their finances ebbed with the stock market. While the Bloomberg weekly index of consumer comfort fell to 45.5 in the period ended Feb. 1 from 47.3, it was still the second-best reading […] Read more »
Ipsos/RBC Consumer Outlook Index: February 2015
February’s RBC Consumer Outlook Index displays increases across all indices, continuing the upward trend that has been observed over the last few months. While some indices show modest increases, others are up nearly four points when compared with last month. CONT. Chris Jackson, Ipsos Public Affairs Read more »
Small-Business Owners’ Optimism Highest Since 2008
U.S. small-business owners are the most optimistic they have been in seven years, according to the latest Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index. The index, at +71, has increased significantly for two consecutive quarters, and reflects optimism in small-business owners’ views of both their current situation and their expectations for the […] Read more »