1.   At the same time, high unemployment, wage stagnation and uncertainty about future changes to taxes and pensions have depressed consumer spending.

2.   Bleaker prospects for work and declining wages helped depress consumer spending, which makes up more than half of the economy.

3.   Government officials said the earthquake was one of several factors that depressed consumer spending throughout the nation in the first quarter.

4.   High interest rates boost corporate borrowing costs, home mortgage costs and depress consumer spending, with the overall effect being to dampen economic activity.

5.   Higher rates also depress consumer spending by raising the price of mortgage loans or overdue credit-card bills.

6.   Liro of Wood Gundy suggested that confidence tended to wane in election periods because negative campaigning depresses consumers.

7.   That could depress consumer spending in an economy already on the edge of recession and force a deficit-ridden government to start priming the economic pump.

8.   The failure of more banks will push up unemployment, already near a postwar-record high, and could depress consumer spending.

9.   The profitability of Swiss retailers has been shrinking as consumer spending was depressed by rising unemployment and falling real wages.

10.   Wherencreases have depressed consumer spending in several countries.