People in America are suffering from an uncertainty that is "more acute, perhaps, than any time since 9-11", according to the chief economist at Wayne Hummer Investments.

William Hummer has claimed that there are a number of factors, including job insecurity and inflation, perpetuating this attitude among the US public.

And talking to the Associated Press, the financial expert predicted this feeling is not going to disappear in the near future. Indeed, with millions of Americans in debt, it is likely that monetary concerns will be a topic of consideration for sometime to come yet.

"I don't think this can be purged immediately by an election or anything else," said Mr Hummer. "I think it's endemic, deep-rooted and likely to persist."

These comments follow the Conference Board's latest consumer confidence index, which shows that US consumers' opinions of the economic future are the most negative they have been since 1992.

Total American debt, including credit card borrowing, is widely reported to have exceeded $9 trillion recently.

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