Ann Arbor – Consumers reported that their finances had improved due to more jobs, higher wages, and gains in wealth. Indeed, consumers judged their current financial situation more favorably than anytime since the start of the Great Recession. While past gains have usually been associated with optimism about future gains, consumers remained skeptical about their future financial prospects. Most of the August gains were driven by rising stock prices and wages among households in the top third of the income distribution, while those in the bottom two-thirds reported slightly less positive gains than in July. To be sure, all households have benefited from the resurgent economy. The data indicate that consumption spending will grow at a 2.5% pace in the year ahead.

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