Confidence Drops to Match 2007 Low
May 15, 2007 — -- Consumer confidence dropped this week to match its 2007 low, and pessimism about the economy's future spiked to its highest in a year -- both on cue with a new nominal record in the price of gasoline.
The ABC News/Washington Post Consumer Comfort Index fell four points to -7 on its scale of +100 to -100, matching the year's low it saw twice last month. And 55 percent now say the economy is getting worse -- an enormous 21 points higher than the level of pessimism before the current run-up in gas prices began.
It's hardly unexpected. The average price of a gallon of gasoline rose another nickel this week to $3.10 in the weekly U.S. Department of Energy survey, surpassing its previous high of $3.07 after Hurricane Katrina in September 2005.
The price of gasoline has significantly correlated with consumer confidence since January 2006 at .50. And gas has jumped by nearly a dollar a gallon in the past 15 weeks.
Confidence had been holding tough, apparently by other, positive economic factors, such as low unemployment and low inflation. This week that defense looks to have cracked.
INDEX -- The CCI is based on Americans' ratings of the current economy, the buying climate and their personal finances. (Expectations are measured in a separate question.)Two of those -- ratings of the buying climate (35 percent positive) and ratings of the national economy (41 percent positive) -- are their lowest in seven months.
Ratings of personal finances -- 64 percent positive -- are keeping the index afloat.
EXPECTATIONS -- Additionally, for the first time in nine months, a majority now says the economy is getting worse. That's up nine points from just last month, and up by 21 points from its level in January. Economic pessimists outnumber optimists by 41 points, the largest gap since May 2006.
Economic pessimism last reached a majority in summer 2006, not coincidentally during another spike in gas prices. It dropped sharply -- by 20 points from August 2006 to January 2007 --
