Benchmark
Deep Divisions in U.S. Consumer Confidence Run Beyond Party Lines
Wide gaps along income, employment lines could help explain tepid spending
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You may have heard that consumer confidence has surged since Donald Trump’s November election victory, and maybe even that it's deeply divided along party lines. But the gaps in sentiment by income, employment and race are just as telling -- and could help explain the recent tepid gains in household spending.
Since the election, the difference in sentiment between Americans earning more than $100,000 and those with incomes below $15,000 has reached its widest since the recession ended in 2009, according to data from the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index.