Arlington, Va. –
Consumer confidence in the overall economy and in technology both slipped in
July, according to the latest indexes from the Consumer Electronics Association
(CEA).
The CEA Index of
Consumer Expectations (ICE), which measures consumer expectations about the
broader economy, fell one point this month, to 159.1.
“Consumer
sentiment deteriorated further this month as the inability of Congress to raise
the debt ceiling heightens consumer uncertainty,” said Shawn DuBravac, CEA’s
chief economist and research director. “Given the recent soft patch in the
economy, consumers remain jittery. There are some signs, however, that the
sentiment around employment and the labor market generally is improving
slowly.”
Consumer
expectations regarding their technology spending are also slightly down in
July. The CEA Index of Consumer Technology Expectations (ICTE) fell about 2.5
points this month to 79.8. The ICTE measures consumer expectations about
technology spending.
“Despite a slight
dip in consumer sentiment around technology spending, CEA data shows consumer
have continued to expand their spending on technologies over the last several
months,” DuBravac said.
The CEA Indexes
comprise the ICE and ICTE, both of which are updated on a monthly basis through
consumer surveys. New data is released on the fourth Tuesday of each month. CEA
has been tracking index data since January 2007. To find current and past
indexes, charts, methodology and future release dates, log on to
.
