新华社纽约12月19日电（记者 徐静）美国密歇根大学19日发布的调查数据显示，美国12月消费者 信心指数终值上升至52.9，高于11月的51.0，但远低于去年12月的74.0。 密歇根大学发布的12月当前经济状况指数终值降至50.4，低于11月份的51.1，也低于去年12月份的 75.1。消费者预期指数升至54.6，高于11月份的51.0，但同样低于去年12月份的73.3。 与此同时，美国消费者预计通胀在可预见的未来仍将居高不下，从而削弱其预算的潜在购买力。 调查还显示，今年一整年，美国消费者普遍担心劳动力市场出现恶化。12月，约63%的消费者预计 未来一年失业率将上升，这一比例远高于去年同期的40%。 调查显示，尽管消费者信心指数有所改善，但比2024年12月仍低近30%。高物价和关税影响依旧是 美国消费者在大笔购物时最为关注的问题。约47%的受调查消费者自述高物价给个人财务造成压力，这 一比例与11月持平，高于去年同期的35%。 ...

Economic Overview - The U.S. economy is facing challenges due to the uncertainty brought by the Trump administration's tariff policies and the recent government shutdown, which lasted for 43 days [1] - The GDP data for the third quarter remains unclear due to the government shutdown, and the labor market is cooling while inflation pressures persist [1] Employment Data - The unemployment rate in September rose to 4.4%, the highest level since November 2021, despite the addition of 119,000 non-farm jobs, which exceeded market expectations [1] - A total of 470,000 individuals entered the labor market, contributing to the rise in the unemployment rate, indicating that high inflation is forcing people to seek employment [1] - The non-farm employment data for July and August was revised downwards, with July's figures adjusted from 79,000 to 72,000 and August's from 22,000 to a negative 4,000 [1] Consumer Sentiment - Consumer sentiment showed a slight improvement after the government shutdown, but individuals remain frustrated by high prices and declining incomes [2] - The University of Michigan's consumer confidence index fell to 51.0 in November, down from 53.6 in October, indicating a decline in consumer confidence [3] Economic Growth Predictions - The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's survey of 33 professional researchers predicts a median GDP growth rate of 1.1% for the fourth quarter, down from a previous estimate of 1.3% [3] - The forecast for the first quarter of the following year was also revised down from 1.9% to 1.6% [3] Consumer Behavior - The CEO of Kraft Heinz stated that consumer sentiment entering the holiday season is among the worst in decades, reflecting the economic challenges faced by consumers [3]

Group 1 - The economic downturn in South Korea has led to a significant increase in business closures, with the number of reported closures surpassing 1 million for the first time since 1995, reaching 1,008,200 [1] - The business closure rate has risen for two consecutive years, reaching 9.04% in 2024, indicating that nearly 1 in 10 businesses ceased operations that year [1] - Poor business conditions are the primary reason for closures, with 506,200 businesses citing this as their reason, accounting for 50.2% of all closures, marking the highest proportion since 2010 [1] Group 2 - The retail and restaurant sectors are particularly affected, together accounting for approximately 45% of total business closures, with 299,600 retail businesses and 15.2% from the restaurant industry [1] - The overdue loan rate for vulnerable individual business owners reached 12.24% by the first quarter of 2025, the highest level since Q2 2013 [1] - The South Korean government has introduced a supplementary budget of 31.8 trillion KRW (approximately 100 billion CNY) to support livelihoods, including consumer vouchers aimed at boosting household spending [2] Group 3 - Despite government support measures, there is a consensus that these are temporary fixes and not structural solutions to the ongoing issues faced by individual business owners [2] - Calls for a systematic "exit strategy" to address the oversupply of individual businesses have emerged, highlighting the need for long-term institutional design to tackle structural challenges [2] - The competitive landscape for individual businesses is characterized by a cycle of high entrepreneurship and high failure rates, exacerbated by an aging population and insufficient job creation [2]

Group 1 - The Japanese government reported a significant decline in real wages for May, marking the largest drop in nearly two years [1] - Real wages decreased for the fifth consecutive month, down 2.9% compared to the same period last year, the largest decline since September 2023 [1] - Although nominal wages increased by 1.0% in May, high prices have led to a reduction in real wages [1] Group 2 - The consumer price index in Japan rose by 4.0% in May, remaining at or above 4% for six consecutive months, driven by high prices of food items such as rice [1]