Retail Sales Nudge Up; Confidence Edges Down

* 31.7 percent of consumers feel their financial situation is “worse off” than last year;

* Paying down debt is a top priority for 33.1 percent of consumers this August, down from last August’s level of 36.2 percent;

* 33.3 percent of consumers believe there will be more layoffs over the next six months, compared to July’s level of 31.4 percent; and