Mixed SignalsKeep your business alive in an unpredictable economy.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Words likevariableandmixedare usually used todescribe the weather. These days, they can also be used to describethe U.S. economy.
While the economy keeps growing overall, the combination ofrising gas prices, a static job market and a potential housingbubble has left the U.S. consumer somewhat pessimistic. Consumerconfidence fell for the fifth straight month in May--the longestconsecutive decline since 2002. The Conference Board's"Consumer Confidence Index," a monthly survey of 5,000U.S. households, tumbled 6.3 points between March and April alone.While the most recent figures from the survey indicate thatconsumer confidence may be on the rise--the index rose more than 2points between May and June--entrepreneurs aren't out of thewoods yet.
Continue reading this article — and all of our other premium content with Entrepreneur+
Join the internet’s leading entrepreneur community! With your subscription you’ll get:
- Unlimited access, including premium content
- No ads
- Subscription to狗万官方magazine
- Four free e-books a year
- Subscriber-only events with our experts