美国财政悬崖谈判搁置

As U.S. shoppers gear up to spend for the holidays, businesses were hoping for signs that the fiscal cliff would be averted. But with no deal on the table before Congress adjourns for the Thanksgiving break, skepticism is growing.

John Goodman with National Center for Policy Analysis said,"Beginning Jan 1st, everyone's paycheck is going to get smaller."

The Tax Policy Center estimates that people making between 40 and 65k per year would pay an extra $672 in payroll taxes and $1328 in federal income tax.

According to Politico, the conciliatory remarks Democrats and Republicans made in public, are in contrast to the clashing negotiations behind the scenes - casting doubt on whether a resolution could be reached before Christmas.

With holiday spending accounting a quarter of annual retail sales, retailers worry about the impact of economic uncertainty.

Matthew Shay of the National Retail Federation wrote to President Barack Obama, saying:

"Any disruption to consumer confidence and spending during this season could prompt a crisis for retailers and the millions of U.S. jobs the industry supports.”

Nearly 1 in 5 consumers said risks surrounding the fiscal cliff would impact their holiday spending, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.

Goldman Sachs is estimating that a $218 billion loss in consumer income translates into a $110 billion drop in consumer spending even if the cliff is averted.

Goldman analyst Matthew Fassler predicts cars, electronics and home-related sectors could be among the hardest hit.

But businesses seem to be more worried than consumers, who are on track to spend an average of $218 between Thursday and Monday on Thanksgiving sales, up $60 from last year.