BERLIN (AP) – A closely-watched survey indicates German consumers remain optimistic but are showing signs of worry about the country’s economic situation amid uncertainty about Greece’s financial future.
The GfK research group said Wednesday that its forward-looking consumer climate index remained unchanged at 10.1 points for August from July.
But the survey of 2,000 consumers showed a significant drop in economic expectations, which fell by 6.5 points in July and have lost almost 20 points in two months.
The GfK report says “consumers apparently assume that the hard-won solution in the debt dispute with Greece will have negative consequences on the German economy.” It added crises in Ukraine, Russia and the Mideast may also be curbing the outlook.
Income expectations rose 1.4 points, however, backed by “exceedingly good domestic conditions” including low unemployment.