Business http://www.gallup.com/ http://backend.userland.com/rss Gallup WebTeam Reflecting an often-overlooked aspect of today’s job crisis, one in six Americans now mention lack of money or low wages as the most important financial problem facing their families today -- tying a five-year high for the question and more than name healthcare, unemployment, or any other financial issue. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124442/Lack-Money-Wages-Top-Family-Financial-Problem.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/124442/Lack-Money-Wages-Top-Family-Financial-Problem.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:15:00 GMT There appears to be little holiday cheer on Main Street, according to Gallup’s key economic indicators, as consumer spending was down 23% last week from the same week last year. Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index and Job Creation Index remained essentially unchanged from the previous week. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124304/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Waiting-Holiday-Cheer.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/124304/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Waiting-Holiday-Cheer.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT Americans reported spending an average of $62 per day last week, down from $65 the week prior and $81 a year ago -- not yet signaling a boost for the holiday spending season. http://www.gallup.com/video/124307/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Spending-Hardly-Inspires.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/video/124307/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Spending-Hardly-Inspires.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT Americans’ estimate of the total amount they will spend on Christmas gifts this year is now $638, essentially matching the record lows from November and December 2008. Fewer Americans say they will be spending less on gifts this year than said this a year ago, while most say they will spend the same amount. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124283/Christmas-Spending-Forecast-Reverts-Record-2008-Lows.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/124283/Christmas-Spending-Forecast-Reverts-Record-2008-Lows.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT Americans in November say they plan to roughly spend $638 on Christmas gifts this year, down from the $740 they projected in October and nearly identical to the $639 they projected last December. http://www.gallup.com/video/124286/Christmas-Spending-Decrease-November.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/video/124286/Christmas-Spending-Decrease-November.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT Venezuelans’ approval of President Hugo Chavez has declined in recent years, from 61% in 2006 to 47% in 2009. During that time, Venezuelans have also grown less likely to identify with the socialist ideology Chavez represents. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124232/Chavismo-Losing-Steam-Venezuela.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/124232/Chavismo-Losing-Steam-Venezuela.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT A new Gallup poll conducted Nov. 5-8 finds a widespread lack of optimism about the job market, with 8% of Americans saying this is a good time to find a quality job, and little variation regardless of gender, region, income, or education. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124235/New-Low-U.S.-Job-Optimism.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/124235/New-Low-U.S.-Job-Optimism.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:30:00 GMT Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index fell to a 15-week low as a 26-year high in the unemployment rate and a new 2009 high in gas prices more than offset any potential confidence benefits associated with the gains in the Dow. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124208/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Confidence-Slips-So-Far-Nov.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/124208/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Confidence-Slips-So-Far-Nov.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT American workers last week reported similar job market conditions as during the prior week, while economic confidence declined. http://www.gallup.com/video/124217/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Jobs-Holding-Constant.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/video/124217/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Jobs-Holding-Constant.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT Job-market conditions improved in October, driven by improvements in the South and the East, with hiring up and layoffs down in both regions. Still, the job situation is unchanged in the Midwest and West. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124109/Gallup-Economic-Monthly-October-Jobs-Best-South-East.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/124109/Gallup-Economic-Monthly-October-Jobs-Best-South-East.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:15:00 GMT Halloween may have buoyed consumer spirits as Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index, Job Creation Index, and Consumer Spending measure all rebounded from prior- week declines -- returning to or nearing their best levels of the past several weeks and reflecting the variability of today’s consumer economic perceptions. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124064/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Halloween-Raises-Spirits.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/124064/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Halloween-Raises-Spirits.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT Gallup’s Job Creation Index increased to +3 last week, closing in on its high for the year. Gallup's Economic Confidence and Consumer Spending measures also improved compared with the prior week. http://www.gallup.com/video/124031/Weekly-Economic-Insights-2009.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/video/124031/Weekly-Economic-Insights-2009.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT As the White House claims 640,000 jobs have been saved or created by the economic stimulus package, Gallup finds American workers reporting slightly more hiring at their companies since July, but no increase in the percentage who say it is a good time to find a quality job. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124004/Despite-Positive-Signs-Americans-Negative-Job-Market.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/124004/Despite-Positive-Signs-Americans-Negative-Job-Market.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:15:00 GMT Investors remain slightly optimistic overall in October, but the Gallup Index of Investor Optimism -- a broad measure of investor perceptions -- shows investor optimism retreating slightly from September and falling back to its August level. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123938/Investor-Optimism-Down-Slightly-October.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123938/Investor-Optimism-Down-Slightly-October.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 GMT Economic confidence fell slightly last week from the prior week and now stands well below where it was a month ago. The job situation deteriorated from its 2009 high of the prior week, while consumer spending fell back to its 2009 trend line from its paycheck- and Halloween-inspired high. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123863/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Declines-Around.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123863/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Declines-Around.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT Gallup's Economic Confidence, Job Creation, and Consumer Spending measures all trended downward last week. http://www.gallup.com/video/123869/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Confidence-Jobs-Spending-Down.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/video/123869/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Confidence-Jobs-Spending-Down.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT Gallup finds that a median of 78% of respondents in 10 European countries support government intervention in the financial sector during times of economic crisis. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123824/Europe-Gov-Intervention-Financial-Crises.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123824/Europe-Gov-Intervention-Financial-Crises.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT Americans spend the most on Saturdays, followed closely by Fridays; accordingly, weekend spending far exceeds weekday spending. More importantly, intensifying spending swings on payday weeks imply there may be a new “cash-based” spending pattern developing. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123839/Consumers-Spend-More-Weekends-Payday-Weeks.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123839/Consumers-Spend-More-Weekends-Payday-Weeks.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT As the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed past 10,000 last week, economic confidence was unchanged, but consumer spending surged and job-market conditions reached their high for the year. If these trends persist for the next few weeks, Christmas sales could surprise to the upside. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123737/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Spending-Jobs-Climb-With-Dow.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123737/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Spending-Jobs-Climb-With-Dow.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT Gallup's Job Creation Index rose to 4 last week, the most positive reading for this measure so far in 2009. http://www.gallup.com/video/123740/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Job-Creation-Improves.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/video/123740/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Job-Creation-Improves.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT Gallup finds 10% of Americans feeling that now is a “good time” to find a quality job, showing no improvement since February, and well below most of 2008. Job-market conditions have improved in every region except the South compared to earlier this year, but are still much worse than a year ago. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123683/Americans-See-Little-Hope-Finding-Quality-Job.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123683/Americans-See-Little-Hope-Finding-Quality-Job.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:00:00 GMT Gallup surveys conducted before and after the global economic crisis last year show a sharp 35-percentage point drop in Russian consumer confidence as the economy suffered its worst decline in a decade. Eight in 10 Russians (79%) join Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in worrying about higher unemployment. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123647/Russians-Confidence-Crumbles-Economy.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123647/Russians-Confidence-Crumbles-Economy.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT Hiring improved a little last week -- bouncing back to its best level of the year, and suggesting less deterioration in the job market -- but consumer confidence was flat and consumer spending fell back, staying within its new normal, and is down 33% from a year ago. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123632/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Job-Market-Improves.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123632/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Job-Market-Improves.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT The average $740 consumers predict they will spend on Christmas gifts this year is down from $801 recorded at this time a year ago, but higher than the $639 prediction Americans gave two months later in the economically troubled 2008 holiday season. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123608/Christmas-Spending-Forecast-Down-Year-Ago.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123608/Christmas-Spending-Forecast-Down-Year-Ago.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT Consumer spending remains down 30% across income groups, suggesting retail sales and profit challenges this Christmas. This is the case even with consumer confidence hitting a new high in September and layoffs easing over the past five months. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123590/Gallup-Economic-Monthly-Confidence-Up-Wallets-Shut.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123590/Gallup-Economic-Monthly-Confidence-Up-Wallets-Shut.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:15:00 GMT