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Press Release Archives | July 2004 Economic Index
For Immediate Release August 4, 2004
Contact: Cristi Allen
callen@decisionanalyst.com
Phone: 817-640-6166
Increasing Jobs Confidence Pulls
Decision Analyst’s Economic Index To 2004 High
Arlington, Texas – Rising expectations in the job market have sent
Decision Analyst’s U.S. Economic Index significantly higher according to
July data. The overall Index gained three points to hit 114, the highest level
reached so far this year.
“Two solid months of rising confidence have pushed the Index firmly back
into positive territory” said Jerry W. Thomas, President and CEO of
Decision Analyst, a marketing research and marketing consulting firm.
“It’s now pretty clear that the early summer slump was just a
extreme reaction to soaring gas prices, rather than a return to depressed
conditions.”
The July Economic Index saw rising or unchanged levels in all categories except
consumer confidence, which slipped a modest three percent from June. Confidence
in job availability and job security both reached two-year highs, while
business activity snapped out of a three-month (albeit modest) decline.
“Confidence in the strength of the job market is a very positive
sign,” Thomas says. “It’s an indicator of expected corporate
expansion in the second half of 2004, and it will do much to settle the nerves
of jittery consumers still worried about high gasoline prices and the war on
terror.”
Methodology
The Decision Analyst Economic Index is based on a monthly Internet survey of
several thousand households balanced by gender, age, and geography. The survey
is conducted during the last 10 days of each month, and the Index is
immediately calculated from nine different economic measurements, using a
sophisticated econometric model. The result is a snapshot of current U.S.
economic activity, as seen through the eyes of representative consumers.
Decision Analyst also conducts concurrent economic surveys in Canada, the U.K.,
Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Mexico and Australia. Whenever the
Decision Analyst Economic Index is greater than 110, it tends to signal an
expanding economy. An Index value of 100 to 110 suggests a stagnant economy,
and below 100 generally indicates economic contraction. These guidelines vary
by country, however.
About Decision Analyst
Decision Analyst, Inc. is a leading marketing research and marketing
consulting firm specializing in advertising testing, strategy research, new
product development, and advanced modeling for marketing decision optimization.
The firm delivers competitive advantage to clients throughout the world in the
consumer packaged goods, telecommunications, retail, high technology, medical
and pharmaceutical, utilities, and e-commerce industries. Decision Analyst operates
American Consumer Opinion® Online, one of the world's largest Internet consumer
opinion panels, with more than 3.5 million participants.
For additional information contact:
Cristi Allen
Publicity
Email: callen@decisionanalyst.com
Phone: 1.800.ANALYSIS (262.5974)
Address: 604 Avenue H East
Arlington, TX 76011
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