+0.7 on previous index reading
The Consumer Pulse stood at 53.9 in May 2020, up 0.7 on last month’s record low but down 34.9 on a year ago. Households lowered their assessment of the current economic situation this month and with the COVID-19 shock impacting incomes and jobs and restricting travel, seven in ten indicated that they expect to spend less on holidays this year compared with last year. Households were also downbeat about the outlook for the economy this month, albeit less so than in April, likely reflecting the announcement of a phased easing of the public health restrictions over the summer.
