Consumers losing confidence
Consumer confidence is falling, with people increasingly pessimistic about the Swiss economic situation.
The government’s quarterly consumer sentiment index dropped to +2 points in April, compared with +14 points in January, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) said on Thursday.
The level remains above the long-term average of -8 points between 1972 and 2008. It reached a high of +25 points in 2001.
Indicators for the index showed people were less happy about the general state of the Swiss economy over the past 12 months and the development of their household budgets.
But the index showed consumer moods did not affect decisions to make important purchases.
Since 1972 Seco has surveyed 1,100 households on various issues, including price developments and job security to compile the index.
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