Capturing Heterogeneity in Consumer Sentiment
The COVID-19 pandemic has once again proven that the Consumer Sentiment Index is a vital and timely indicator of the health of the economy. Particularly the household sector, because of the close link between consumer sentiment and consumption. The new approach will improve how we monitor consumer sentiment and will better inform policies aiming at household consumption.
Dr Viet Nguyen is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Survey – the longest consumer survey in Australia. His research, which uses the survey to understand consumer expectations, has been published in top international peer-reviewed journals.