Just take a look at today's Reuters ( 06/16/2015 ), for example:
http://www.reuters.com/
It seems like things are doing about average, doesn't it? The Pope is talking climate change, Greek default fears are affecting Asia, Hillary is getting tough on trade, oh, and Gap is closing 175 stores. Well, that happens from time to time. It must be a problem at Gap, right? Nope.
If the market took to heart the idea that consumers must earn more money to spend more money, and the market kept wages pegged to inflation, it wouldn't be too late now.
There is no longer a margin that will allow for the delay between a wage increase and a following increase of consumer spending.
Austerity as a solution is a complete failure. Closing stores, laying off employees, cutting government spending, all have one result: Less consumer spending.
If the minimum wage were to increase to the inflation adjusted $22 per hour, consumers are so conditioned by the way the market treated them as employees that their first instinct will be to sock away their money in their savings and checking accounts.
Consumers have been so conditioned to be miserly after 30 years of Reaganomics, the flow of cash will bottleneck in consumers wallets, banks, and debt relief, before finally reaching any discretionary outlays,
See for yourself what Reaganomics has wrought:
Weak Consumer Spending: The Canary In The Bear Market Coal Mine
http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/06/weak-consumer-spending-the-canary-in-the-bear-market-coal-mine/
Will Weak Consumer Spending Deflate Stock Markets?
http://seekingalpha.com/article/3231596-will-weak-consumer-spending-deflate-stock-markets
When will the consumer spending surge finally happen?
http://theweek.com/articles/558861/when-consumer-spending-surge-finally-happen
Gap is closing 175 stores and firing a bunch of people
http://www.businessinsider.com/gap-closing-stores-and-laying-off-workers-2015-6
Sears Extends Losses as Sales Declines Accelerate
http://www.wsj.com/articles/sears-holdings-sales-swoon-continues-though-profit-improves-1433759875
Kmart's sales have fallen off a gigantic cliff
http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/08/investing/kmart-sales-decline-sears-eddie-lampert/
Canada’s factory sales drop four times more than expected
http://business.financialpost.com/news/economy/canadas-factory-sales-drop-four-times-more-than-expected
Hyundai, Kia cut output in South Korea after sales decline
http://www.autonews.com/article/20150612/OEM01/150619949/hyundai-kia-cut-output-in-south-korea-after-sales-decline
Existing-Home Sales Decline 3.3% in April
http://www.wsj.com/articles/existing-home-sales-decline-3-3-in-april-1432217164
Audi China car sales drop for first time in over two years in May
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/business/audi-china-car-sales-drop-for-first-time-in-over-two-years-in-may/articleshow/47675415.cms
McDonald's Sees Global May Sales Decline, One Region Shines
http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/177541/mcdonalds-sees-global-may-sales-decline-one-region-shines
Arrium flags asset sales, declining earnings
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/business/breaking-news/arrium-flags-asset-sales-declining-earnings/story-fnn9c0gv-1227398179070
Single-family home sales down in May
1st dip for metro Toledo since 2014
http://www.toledoblade.com/Real-Estate/2015/06/10/Single-family-home-sales-down-in-May.html
Tata Motors Hits 52-Week Low as JLR May Sales Decline
http://profit.ndtv.com/news/market/article-tata-motors-hits-52-week-low-as-jlr-may-sales-decline-770974
J. Crew to lay off 10% of headquarters after horrific sales decline
http://fortune.com/2015/06/10/jcrew-layoffs/
Kors Shares Plunge 19% On Weak Outlook And Same-Store Sales Decline
http://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiemcgrath/2015/05/27/kors-shares-plunge-19-on-weak-outlook-and-same-store-sales-decline/
First time in 20 Years, Indian mobile phone sales drop
http://www.moneylife.in/article/first-time-in-20-years-indian-mobile-phone-sales-drop/41788.html
Jaguar Land Rover Profit Falls Most in Two Years on China
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-26/tata-motors-net-misses-estimates-as-jaguar-land-rover-sales-drop
Staples reports 39% decline in profit as sales dip
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/staples-reports-39-decline-in-profit-as-sales-dip-2015-05-20
Ford F-150 Sales Tank in May
http://247wallst.com/autos/2015/06/02/ford-f-150-sales-tank-in-may/
PC sales in Middle East, Africa region dropped 9.6%
http://gulfnews.com/business/sectors/technology/pc-sales-in-middle-east-africa-region-dropped-9-6-1.1534980
U.S. Industrial Production Falls on Weak Demand, Strong Dollar--Update
http://www.nasdaq.com/article/us-industrial-production-falls-on-weak-demand-strong-dollarupdate-20150615-00769
Factories Meet New Hurdle in U.S. Consumer Spending Slowdown
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-01/factories-in-u-s-expand-more-than-forecast-on-stronger-orders
At this point I just gave up and posted the Google Search links.
---- Google Search Link: "consumer spending weak"
https://www.google.com/search?num=100&newwindow=1&biw=1600&bih=785&tbm=nws&q=consumer+spending+weak&oq=consumer+spending+weak&gs_l=serp.3...70426.74445.0.74990.22.15.0.7.7.0.120.959.14j1.15.0....0...1c.1.64.serp..4.18.776.SfhMLvYytLI
---- Google Search Link: "sales decline"
https://www.google.com/search?num=100&newwindow=1&biw=1600&bih=785&tbm=nws&q=sales+decline&oq=sales+decline&gs_l=serp.3..0.1120660.1122341.0.1122722.13.9.0.4.4.0.110.553.7j2.9.0....0...1c.1.64.serp..0.13.552.fmVibMKwNek
---- Google Search Link: "stores closing"
https://www.google.com/search?num=100&newwindow=1&biw=1600&bih=785&tbm=nws&q=stores+closing&oq=stores+&gs_l=serp.3.0.0l10.34886.36994.0.39496.9.8.1.0.0.0.138.615.6j2.8.0....0...1c.1.64.serp..0.9.617._4Fw6u5eXwo
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