Consumer Confidence Rebounds Over the Past Month [View All]

By Jeannine Aversa Associated Press Writer
Published: Mar 5, 2004

The AP-Ipsos consumer confidence index rose to 97.7 this week. That's an improvement from a reading of 91.7 in early February when consumer confidence took a hit, weighed down particularly by concerns about economic conditions down the road.

The early March reading of 97.7, when compared to the same month a year ago, highlights just how far consumers have come. A year ago, as the war in Iraq broke out, consumer confidence sank to 61.4, the lowest reading recorded since Ipsos started the index in January 2002. The AP-Ipsos confidence index is benchmarked to a 100 reading. ...<snip>
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGABFIM0GRD.html
Consumers may be feeling better in part because they have gotten a tax refund or they anticipate getting one, Zandi suggested. Improvements in the stock market also may be a factor, other economists said. ....>snip>

Slow job growth has been a sore spot for President Bush as Democrats have seized upon it this election year as evidence of what they believe to be Bush's poor handling of the economy.

But Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is optimistic that job growth, which has been poking along, will speed up. "We could get a pop in employment at any time," Greenspan said last week.