1.   Business confidence has also slumped.

2.   Labor costs continued to rise at a subdued pace in the third quarter while consumer confidence slumped in October.

3.   U.S. labor costs continued to rise at a subdued pace in the third quarter while consumer confidence slumped this month, signs inflation will remain restrained as growth slows.

4.   In France, where two people have died of the disease, consumer confidence in beef slumped after potentially infected meat wound up on grocery store shelves in October.

5.   Stock prices fell Tuesday on a report that consumer confidence is still slumping.

6.   Unemployment is rising, confidence has slumped and the government has partially frozen bank accounts to prop up the banking system.

7.   Indian corporate confidence has slumped in the face of high lending rates and political instability, a leading business newspaper said Thursday.