FEBRUARY 2010
Consumer Confidence dipped three points to -33, at levels similar to April of last year as dissatisfaction bent households’ assurance on overall future prospects due to a lack of tangible economic improvements: households summarized daily hardship by sending the personal financial situation over the past twelve months index down four points to -25 while over the next twelve months, the index fell to -12, only two points from June 2008 historical low. On unemployment, households kept however confident with the index falling six points to 57 despite strikes, lay-offs, besieged management representatives and similar disruptive events making daily headlines.
Amid stagnating salaries and an extremely weak labor market, households saw their standard of living over the past twelve months as having deteriorated, down five points to -67, and similarly over the next twelve months, with the index down one point to -35.
Due to economic uncertainties, the households personal financial situation at present index fell four points to 16, as the future savings capacity index dropped seven points to -10, one point below a long term average of -9.
The gradual ending of car fleet incentives effective from the beginning of this year affected the opportunity to make significant purchases equally, with the index slipping three points to -24. The opportunity to save index stagnated at 20, its long term average. Regarding price trends over the last twelve months, households acknowledged substantial price cuts, as the index decreased by four points to -28. Over the next twelve months however, households somehow hoped for subdued inflation with the index falling one point to -39.
