Canadian consumers growing wary about economy

Canadians are more pessimistic about the state of the economy now and what it will look like in the future, a survey says.

"Increased costs at the pump and supermarket may be the most important drivers of pessimism for Canadians in the short term as they factor in increasing risks to their disposable income," said Richard Jenkins, director of research at TNS Canadian Facts.

Canadian surveyed had a gloomier outlook for both the current state of the economy and how it will look in six months time. The level of consumer optimism about the future was the lowest that TNS has recorded in the past four years.

A total of 1,015 Canadians were interviewed between May 2 and May 8 as part of the survey, which takes place every month.