Consumer Confidence in U.S. Unexpectedly Increased

[TomCADem]

Source: Bloomberg

. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Confidence among U.S. consumers unexpectedly rose in November as a brightening outlook masked growing concern over joblessness.

The Conference Board’s confidence index increased to 49.5 from 48.7 the prior month. The New York-based Conference Board’s index, which focuses on the labor market and purchase plans, averaged 58 in 2008 and 103.4 in 2007.

The report showed Americans fretted over jobs, signaling the highest unemployment rate in 26 years may restrain spending and limit the recovery from the worst recession since the 1930s. Target Corp. last week said it remains cautious about sales this quarter and expects to offer incentives spur holiday shopping.

“Labor market perceptions are very weak,” said David Sloan, chief U.S. economist at 4Cast Inc. in New York, who forecast an increase in confidence. “What did drive is up was expectations, optimism that things will get better, not that things have gotten better.”

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aERPXOrPRCsM&pos=3

[AllentownJake]

1. Wow up .8 right before Christmas

The Holidays are going to be great this year for retailers :sarcasm:

[Systematic Chaos]

2. But it's ALMOST HALF of what it was just two years ago!

We're on a roll now!

:eyes:

[AllentownJake]

3. Happy Days are here again

[HughMoran]

9. keep digging

we will recover from this recession.

I will never stop reminding those who were doomsayers.

Every. Single. Day.

You're going to rue the day you couldn't control your mouth.

[truthisfreedom]

11. How can we recover from this recession when we have another wave of defaults arriving, starting in

2010 and ending late 1012? How can we stop the stock market from crashing again, just like it did during the sub-prime default wave? What about the Commercial Real Estate default wave that is about to arrive? And this:

http://thegreatbustahead.com/

It's the perfect storm. I believe we're headed for a depression starting in 2012, probably late fall.

That's not to say that we won't have further temporary bull activity in this secular bear market and some job recovery before it hits.

[Steerpike]

4. Hey,

There are still plenty of rich people with jobs willing to buy stuff. They don't need you.

[RedCloud]

5. Have you seen how much they want for absolute shit? We are totally made in China now.

And now back to my Bean curd soup.

[tom_paine]

6. LOL. I am always amused at the way everything now interlocks in total lying propaganda

This is like a Christmas Advertisement for what passes for TV "news" which vacillates between nonsense, advertising pretending to be news, and celebrity genuflection of all kinds.

Once again, our descent into a horric future, viewed from this quiet point in this over-medicated and over-entertained land, is so very interesting and it shows no signs of letting up or reversing, though as with Clinton, Obama has engineered a very mild slowdown in our onrushing fate.

:rofl: hooray...

[ShortnFiery]

7. Propaganda. eom

[FiveGoodMen]

8. Absolutely

Kind of like, "Amazing new data shows that America's health care works: Not everyone who gets sick in America dies!"

[girl gone mad]

10. I'll wait for the inevitable downward revision. n/t