US Consumer Confidence , Shaken Amid High Prices , and Lingering Recession Fears.<br />'The Independent' reports that consumer <br />confidence in the United States continues to <br />hold steady despite high prices and declining <br />optimism regarding the short-term future.<br />'The Independent' reports that consumer <br />confidence in the United States continues to <br />hold steady despite high prices and declining <br />optimism regarding the short-term future.<br />On March 26, the Conference Board research group<br />released its consumer confidence index, which <br />measures Americans' outlook for the next six months.<br />The index tracking consumer <br />confidence fell to 104.7 in March <br />from a revised 104.8 in February.<br />The index measuring short-term expectations <br />for income, business and the overall job <br />market fell to 73.8 from 76.3 last month.<br />'The Independent' reports that <br />any number below 80 could signal <br />the potential for a recession.<br />At the same time, consumers' <br />view of current conditions improved <br />to 151 from 147.6 last month.<br />The month before, consumers' <br />optimism regarding current <br />conditions had been at 154.9.<br />Economists pay close attention to consumer <br />spending as it accounts for approximately <br />70% of the United States' economic activity.<br />Last month, the Conference Board's <br />index saw larger declines, falling from <br />106.7 from a revised 110.9 in January.<br />At the time, economists had forecast <br />that the index was going to stay <br />steady from January to February.<br />The index tracking short-term <br />expectations fell from 81.5 <br />in January to 79.8.
