CONFIDENT CONSUMER.

ECONOMIC forecasting; EMPLOYMENT; STOCK prices; CORPORATE profits; ENERGY industries; CONSUMER confidence; ECONOMIC indicators; GREENSPAN, Alan, 1926-; TAIWAN Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.; UNITED Microelectronics Corp.; FORECASTING; FINANCE

Discusses the state of the United States economy in the year 2003. Comments made by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan; News from the Labor Department that unemployment rates had risen in March 2003; Stock market earnings for McDonald's food chain and Exxon; Travel and airline industries experiencing profit loss due to the fears of terrorism and the war in Iraq; Discussion of cost cutting and revenue; Statement that energy companies showed a doubling of earnings thanks to Iraq-related higher oil prices; Problems faced by Taiwan-based semiconductor manufacturing firms United Microelectronics and Taiwan Semiconductor; Discussion of consumer confidence.