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| National consumer confidence was up in January 2013 after edging down in the previous month, according to the Conference Board of Canada’s index of consumer confidence. |
National consumer confidence was up in January 2013 after edging down in the previous month, according to the Conference Board of Canada’s index of consumer confidence.
The increase in monthly consumer confidence levels reflected improved sentiment for households’ budgetary expectations and the employment outlook. Declines in consumer confidence in British Columbia and the Atlantic region were more than offset by increases in the other regions.
The balance of sentiment for job growth prospects moved back into positive territory for the first time since June 2011. The improvement reflected increases in sentiment in all areas except for the Atlantic region. A positive balance of opinion means more households said they expect the employment outlook to improve in the next six months than said they expect it will worsen.
The balance of sentiment about household budgets was up in January 2013 compared to December 2012. A positive balance of opinion means that more households expect their budget to improve over the next six months than expect their household budget to worsen.
The national balance of sentiment towards making major purchases, such as a home or car, was unchanged in January and remained in negative territory. Sentiment improved in the Prairies and Quebec but declined across all other regions in the survey. A negative balance of opinion means more households said it was a bad time to buy a big-ticket item, such as a home or car, than said it was a good time to do so. This is an important factor underlying the housing market.
The information contained in this report has been prepared by The Canadian Real Estate Association drawn from sources deemed to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information is not guaranteed.
In providing this information, The Canadian Real Estate Association does not assume any responsibility or liability
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