Recovery?

Will the housing recovery continue? The $8000 1st time home buyers credit ends 11/30. So all the 1st time buyers buying homes allowed the owners of the bought home to trade up but will that continue after the tax credit expires? Was the real estate market artificially stimulated or will the demand continue after 11/30? Interest rates are low but will that translate into continued housing sales?

The cash for clunkers program is over. Will auto sales continue up or will they fall? Will there be demand in the spring or was future demand used up by the cash for clunkers program?

Where is consumer spending? Articles I read suggest that the consumer is saving not spending. If the consumer is not the foundation for this recovery, how can the recovery continue? How can the economy have a sustained recovery without housing and autos i.e. consumer spending.

Artificial stimulation cannot continue forever. The consumer must begin spending or the recovery is going to stall. If that happens, auto sales, housing sales and retail sales will fall. Stocks associated with spending will fall.

Consumer spending will not increase until consumers know that they will have a job in 3 months, 6 months etc. Employment is the key to consumer spending. Today I read there are 6 applicants for each job opening. That means if one is hired, 5 are not. Consumer spending is not going to increase until consumer confidence returns and that is tied to the job market and being hired or not being laid off.