美国消费者支出四月的表现是七个月来最低迷的,但是消费者态度有所好转。
星期五,美国商务部的报告显示,消费者支出没有任何增长,而个人收入则有微弱提高。
另一份来自密西根大学的关于消费者态度的报告显示,消费者在5月的悲观程度有所下降。
经济学家关注消费者态度的原因是探寻消费者需求,而消费者需求拉动美国经济活动的三分之二以上。
下个星期政府专家公布失业率的时候,消费者态度可能有所改善。经济学家在接受新闻机构的采访时,预测五月的失业率将下降0.1%,降至9.8%。还有预测认为美国经济将在本月净增50万个职位。
U.S. consumer spending posted its weakest performance in seven months during April, while a measure of consumer attitudes rose.
Friday’s report from the Commerce Department shows consumer spending did not grow at all, while personal incomes rose slightly.
A separate report on consumer sentiment from the University of Michigan showed consumers growing slightly less pessimistic in May.
Economists watch consumer attitudes for clues about the consumer demand that drives more than two-thirds of all U.S. economic activity.
Consumer sentiment may improve next week when government experts publish the latest unemployment rate. Economists interviewed by news agencies predict that May’s unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of one percent, to 9.8 percent. The same forecast expects the U.S. economy had a net gain of 500,000 jobs for the month.