NPD U.S. Economic Perception Indicator

There were no mixed signals this time from the NPD U.S. Economic Perception Indicator. October was down from the previous month, and down ever more from the previous year.

Consumer research from Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD Group showed that consumers are increasingly concerned about the economy. The October 2011 NPD U.S. Economic Perception Indicator, a measure of consumer confidence, decreased slightly to an index reading of 35.9, on a scale of 0 -- "very concerned" -- to 100 -- "very confident."

The October reading is down from 36.6 in August. A year ago, the perception indicator index was at 40.1

The NPD Group's U.S. Economic Perception Indicator measures consumer beliefs about the current and near-term state of the U.S. economy.

Source: The NPD Group Inc./The Economy Tracker