No wonder electricity usage--the best indicator of household spending and activity--is plummeting.

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His current thinking is that the household sector will drag activity down into a lengthy recession.

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And secondly, the burden of paying debts suppresses economic activity, whether the debtor is a household, a government, or a company.

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On Super Bowl Sunday--one of the few times each year when the nation is united in a singular activity--the TV becomes the central feature of the household, and the country.

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Stronger household spending is needed to offset weak overseas demand, especially in the euro area, where activity remains at a low ebb.

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