Retailers' 'misery index' at lowest level since 2009

(ANSA) - ROME, APR 5 - Italian retailers association Confcommercio said Friday that its 'misery index', an indicator of how the average citizen is doing economically, fell to 12.8 points in February, down 0.3 of a point on January and the lowest level since August 2009.
    The index takes into account inflation and unemployment levels.
    Confcommercio said that February's drop was linked to a deceleration in the price index for frequently purchased items.
    It said that, while unemployment had risen slightly, the employment rate was up too, suggesting fewer people were off the labour market because they felt they had little hope of finding work. (ANSA).