Business+and+Consumer+Confidence

Business and Consumer Confidence Indices

 * Westpac's [|Consumer Sentiment Index] (commonly called the "Consumer Confidence Index")
 * National Australia Bank's [|Quarterly Business Survey] (commonly called the "Business Confidence Index")
 * State and even Regional confidence surveys are conducted (see, for example, this piece on the [|Sunshine Coast Business Confidence Survey])

Business Confidence and Consumer Confidence are based upon phone surveys of business managers that ask questions such as: In the next 12 months The results of these surveys are used as predictors of the likely conditions for business in the coming months.
 * Are you planning to hire new staff?
 * Are you planning a business expansion?
 * Will you be financing expansion on credit or using internal resources?

USA: business and consumer confidence
The USA is currently (2010-early 2011) undergoing a [|crisis of consumer and business confidence]. This affects demand and supply decisions throughout the economy and in the economies of trading partners.

Carbon Pricing and Consumer Confidence
The uncertainty over carbon pricing (a carbon tax, carbon trading, emissions trading permits) is [|taking its toll on consumer confidence]. Nervous consumers tend to save rather than spend their money (if I lose my job, I might need it!) and this has a depressing effect on consumer demand and therefore on business activity, such as sales, and outcomes like profits.