Westpac-MI sentiment index remains below 80 in March

14 March 2023

 

Summary: Household sentiment steady in March; second consecutive month of “extremely weak” readings; two consecutive readings below 80 in 1991, 1986; three of  five sub-indices lower; more respondents expecting higher jobless rate. After a lengthy divergence between measures of consumer sentiment and business confidence in Australia which began in 2014, confidence readings of the two sectors converged again in mid-July 2018. Both measures then deteriorated gradually in trend terms, with...

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