WASHINGTON — American consumers are feeling confident as the holiday season approaches. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index hit 129.5 this month, up from 126.2 in October and highest since November 2000. More than 37 per cent of respondents said jobs were “plentiful,” the highest share since June 2001. Economists closely monitor the report because consumer spending accounts for about 70 per cent of U.S. economic output. The overall index hit bottom at 25.3 in February 2009 at the depths of the Great Recession before rebounding as the U.S. economy recovered.

Source: National Post November 28, 2017 15:11 UTC