曾经挥霍无度的消费者在能源价格高企和利率攀升面前趋于克制,美国经济可能因此暂时出现疲软。周三公布的3月份零售数据令人失望,就业增长放缓令消费者信心下降,进一步证明随着第一季度的结束,美国的经济增长势头再度转弱。美国消费者一直是近年来全球经济增长的火车头,消费疲弱的迹象可能意味着其他国家的经济更加难以扩张。过去对美国消费者将削减支出的多次预期都未能应验。去年夏季的油价上涨减缓了经济增长,但并没持续多久。经济学家预计这次减速不会导致经济衰退。但这将降低对今年经济增长率的预期。随着家庭存款率接近于零,看来美国家庭再也难以像前几年那样推动经济增长了。 Once over-spending consumers tend to be restrained in the face of high energy prices and rising interest rates, the US economy may temporarily be weak. The disappointing March retail sales data released on Wednesday and the slowdown in employment growth weakened consumer confidence, further confirming the weakening of U.S. economic growth as the first quarter ended. US consumers have been the locomotive of global economic growth in recent years, and the signs of weakness in consumption could mean that the economies of other countries are more difficult to expand. Many previous expectations of the U.S. consumer spending cuts would not be fulfilled. The rise in oil prices last summer slowed economic growth but did not last long. Economists do not expect the slowdown to lead to a recession. However, this will reduce the expectation of economic growth this year. As household savings rates approach zero, it seems unlikely that American families will be able to drive economic growth as they did in previous years.