this program is made possible by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. captioning sponsored by wpbt susie: good evening everyone. americans are feeling a bit better than ho-hum this holiday season. tom, an important measure that tracks consumer sentiment rose more than expected this month. tom: susie, this survey comes as shoppers are in the thick of the holiday season. it s the reuters/university of michigan index of consumer sentiment. it popped to 74.2 in early december, well above last month. but even with december s gain, sentiment is still well below pre-recession levels. and, the big question is whether susie: happier consumers will mean more spending for the holidays? suzanne pratt reports. reporter: from the toney stores on fifth avenue in new york city to the decked halls of this florida mall, consumers are shopping. it will be weeks before we learn if retailers get coal in their stockings this year. but, there are signs that scrooge could
this program is made possible by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by wpbt susie: good evening, everyone. two big news developments in washington. the federal reserve kept its key interest rate near zero, and tom, progress in getting the green light to debate financial reform in the senate. tom: susie, we ll have more on that reform bill later. first the fed. policymakers repeated their pledge that short term interest rates would stay, quote, exceptionally low for an extended period. susie: and for the third time, the president of the kansas city fed, tom hoenig, dissented, saying the economy is at risk by keeping rates so low for so long. the fed also said the pace of the recovery is moderate, the job market is beginning to improve, and consumer spending is picking up. joining us now, mike holland of holland and company and robert brusca, chief economist of fact and opinion economics. nice to see you. hi. sus
this program is made possible by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by wpbt susie: good evening, everyone. two big news developments in washington. the federal reserve kept its key interest rate near zero, and tom, progress in getting the green light to debate financial reform in the senate. tom: susie, we ll have more on that reform bill later. first the fed. policymakers repeated their pledge that short term interest rates would stay, quote, exceptionally low for an extended period. susie: and for the third time, the president of the kansas city fed, tom hoenig, dissented, saying the economy is at risk by keeping rates so low for so long. the fed also said the pace of the recovery is moderate, the job market is beginning to improve, and consumer spending is picking up. joining us now, mike holland of holland and company and robert brusca, chief economist of fact and opinion economics. nice to see you. hi. sus
this program is made possible by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by wpbt susie: good evening, everyone. two big news developments in washington. the federal reserve kept its key interest rate near zero, and tom, progress in getting the green light to debate financial reform in the senate. tom: susie, we ll have more on that reform bill later. first the fed. policymakers repeated their pledge that short term interest rates would stay, quote, exceptionally low for an extended period. susie: and for the third time, the president of the kansas city fed, tom hoenig, dissented, saying the economy is at risk by keeping rates so low for so long. the fed also said the pace of the recovery is moderate, the job market is beginning to improve, and consumer spending is picking up. joining us now, mike holland of holland and company and robert brusca, chief economist of fact and opinion economics. nice to see you. hi. sus
captioning sponsored by wpbt paul: from the auto industry to retailers to offices nationwide, roughly seven million jobs have vanished since recession hit the u.s. economy. susie: the nation s unemployment rate is pushing double digits, and that s not including the millions of americans that have simply given up looking for work. paul: tonight we ll meet the under-employed and the newly un- employed. it s really tough to keep going, keep going and keep going. paul: .workers in their forties and fifties facing layoffs after decades on the job. susie: we ll also look at where new jobs are being created and how to stand out while hunting for a job as the nation works its way through the jobless recovery. so stay tuned for working it out, a nightly business report special edition. nightly business report is made possible by: this program was made possible by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. susie: good evening, everyone. than