Richard Curtin Consumers Quotations

If the economy produces jobs at a more rapid rate in the months ahead, these apprehensions of consumers could quickly fade.

That certainly is part of the issue. People have stakes (in the stock market) have noticed these things. If you get to the top quarter or the top 10 percent, then these consumers have mentioned decline in stock market prices much more often.

There is a risk consumers will take the president's remarks as an indication that the situation is more serious than expected.

Consumers view high gas prices as a threat to their living standards and a threat to the ability of the economy to create new jobs.

The sharp and sudden swing in consumer expectations was due to mounting fears among consumers that weak job growth and global job outsourcing may pose a threat to their future living standards.

We have fewer consumers who have positive views of housing prices of any time since 1982 and fewer consumers who have positive views of interest rates of any time since the last recession.

Compared with $3 gas, consumers were relieved that gas prices are now closer to $2. Nonetheless, consumers anticipate that gas prices will remain at relatively high levels for the foreseeable future.

On average, consumers have anticipated changes in the unemployment rate three quarters in advance of the actual change.

Consumers anticipated that higher interest rates will ultimately slow the overall pace of economic growth.

Consumers came upon this view (of a slowdown) on their own in late November, when Bush and Cheney were talking about counting votes, not the economy. But now to hear it confirmed by such people tends to reinforce the view there is a slowdown. It hasn't helped.

Consumers have become increasingly pessimistic about their future income and job prospects, and as a result will continue to slow the pace of their spending during months ahead.

Consumers have found it especially difficult to cope during the winter months with both higher home heating bills as well as higher gasoline costs.

Consumers judged their current finances much more favorably due to declines in gas prices, and were more likely to anticipate additional financial gains during the year ahead.

High gas prices had a devastating impact on consumers' budgets and caused consumers to expect a worsening financial situation during the year ahead.

The growth slowdown anticipated by consumers is very mild, but just enough to result in smaller job gains and a somewhat higher unemployment rate during 2006.