For much of this year, Americans’ economic confidence has been threatening to break out of the range seen since Gallup began Daily tracking of economic confidence in January 2008. It actually did so by one percentage point when economic confidence reached a new weekly high of -17 in the week ending March 25. After pulling back in early April, confidence in each of the past two weeks is once again within two points of that previous weekly high.
The continued high confidence seen this past week is likely due, at least in part, to gas prices stabilizing and even showing signs of decline….
I can tell you, as a retailer we’re not seeing much confidence. People are purchasing less than a year ago and freely admit they’re just attempting to scrape through. Can’t say as I blame them, but their expense might have been my revenue.