Shoppers’ holiday spending could help keep the economy humming

Americans are nervous about the economy. They are troubled by the higher prices from tariffs. They are wary of a fizzling job market.

They are poised to shell out during the holiday shopping season anyway.

Economists are predicting a healthy dose of consumer spending in the last weeks of the year, extending a streak of surprising resilience. Although there is some evidence that people with lower incomes are under rising strain from persistent inflation and weaker hiring, economists say many consumers have enough of a buffer to buy gifts and other holiday items.

Wealthier households in particular, fueled by a high-flying stock market, are expected to buy freely, offsetting slower spending down the income spectrum. Surveys and other data suggest consumers broadly intend to spend the same