ECONOMIST VIEWS: HOW CONFIDENT DO YOU THINK UK HOUSEHOLDS ARE?
HOWARD ARCHER | IHS GLOBAL INSIGHT
“With the latest evidence pointing to a significant moderation in growth in the third quarter, we suspect that consumers may have become gloomier again about the economic outlook and how they might be affected. In particular, consumers remain worried over the fiscal squeeze that will increasingly bite.”
ALAN CLARKE | BNP PARIBAS
“Confidence should be really hurting as a result of the upcoming austerity measures. Just the anticipation of cutbacks and public sector job losses is upsetting people’s confidence. House prices are looking worse and worse and our real take-home pay is dropping.”
JEREMY BATSTONE-CARR | CHARLES STANLEY
“Stock markets have been driven higher but in a real economy plagued by unemployment, the threat of further job losses, austerity (in the UK and Europe) and falling house prices it hardly feels like a cause for celebration for the man or woman on the street.”