WARY CONSUMERS MAY HOLD BACK RECOVERY

摘要

One of the green shoots of recovery is starting to look a bit brown-and it's a big one. Consumer spending in April fell for the second month in a row, dropping below its first-quarter average and pointing to a tough road ahead for both households and the economy. At best, outlays adjusted for inflation have only stabilized following their dizzying plunge in the second half of last year, brought on by $4 gas and a near financial meltdown. At worst, consumer frugality is a growing risk to the broadly expected shift toward renewed economic growth in the second half.