The mood among Irish consumers fell to its lowest in almost four years in August, according to the latest consumer sentiment index.
The survey, compiled by the ESRI and IIB Bank, showed that consumer sentiment fell from 74.7 in July to 72 this month, the lowest since October 2003.
Increased fears about jobs was the main reason for the drop, with three out of four of those surveyed expecting unemployment to rise in the next 12 months.
