POLL: Confidence Rests After Slow Climb

Consumer confidence held steady this week, following a slow recovery that restored it to its late summer level and closer to its long-term average.

The ABC News/Washington Post Consumer Comfort Index stands at -12 on its scale of +100 to -100, about the same as last week's -11. The index had gained nine points in the previous five weeks to recover its level after a record nine-point fall in mid-August.

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Mixed economic news may have contributed to the pause this week. Continued troubles in the housing and credit markets were countered recently by the Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts, which could ease consumer borrowing.

INDEX -- The ABC/Post index is based on Americans' ratings of the national economy, personal finances and the buying climate. Each remains essentially unchanged from last week, with ratings of personal finances the strongest of the three -- 60 percent rate them positively, matching the 2007 average.

This week 37 percent rate the national economy positively, up five points from its 2007 low six weeks ago but still four points below the annual average. Thirty-five percent call it a good time to buy things, little changed from last week and near the 2007 average, 37 percent.

TREND -- While up from its 2007 low of -20 on Aug. 19, the CCI still is below its 2007 average (-8) and its long-term average (-9 in weekly polls since late 1985); it's also well below its 2007 high of +2 on March 11.

The index peaked at +38 in January 2000 and bottomed out at -50 in February 1992.

GROUPS -- As usual the CCI is higher in better-off groups. It's +35 among higher-income Americans while -53 among those with the lowest incomes, +1 among those who've been to college while -37 among high-school dropouts, -8 among whites but -32 among blacks and -5 among men vs. -18 among women.

Sharp partisan differences continue this week: The index is +27 among Republicans, but -22 among independents and -33 among Democrats.