São Paulo - Positive expectations for the future contributed to a 6.2% gain in the Consumer Confidence Index (ICC), calculated by the Commercial Federation of the State of São Paulo (Fecomércio-SP) and the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV) in the São Paulo metropolitan area. The rise in September was the third in a row and lifted the ICC to 128.8 on a scale that runs from 0 to 200 points.

The Fecomércio judges that the consecutive increases indicate that consumers are confident in the improvement of economic conditions and trust that the indicators of employment and income will continue to move in an upward direction. Optimism is greatest among workers who earn less than ten minimum wages. In this group, the ICC rose 9% in comparison with August.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Mylena Fiori
Translator: David Silberstein
09/14/2004