Key Economic Index Creeps Upward

Key Economic Index Creeps Upward - The Berg Consumer Confidence Index (BCCI) took its biggest jump in three months this week, rising from a 9 to a 18 on a scale of 0-100.

The index, which hovered at an alltime low of 1 through much of last winter, rose to a 12 during a brief flurry of job orders when the Iraq war began, settled to a 7 in April, and then hovered around 15 for much of the summer, spiked upward after a two-week deluge of new job requisitions, including seven in the last two days.

Analysts indicate the Index could spike as much as another five points if a short-term contract job is confirmed later this week. That increase would push the BCCI into territory it hasn't seen since the summer of 2002.

"The new numbers reflect not only the huge jump in incoming job leads, but two interviews in the next two days, which could portend a record jump in the BCCI in the next few weeks", says analyst Greta Krupper. "But we'd be wise to refrain from irrational exuberance - lots of companies interview people when they're not even close to ready to hire anyone."

"No way. The economy's been drooling, and the tech sector is dragging its knuckles", says analyst Chonathan Jait.

Mitch Berg could not be reached for comment, as he was trying to find the tie that matches his shirt.