海角大神

There's some good news behind the discouraging headlines on the economy:聽Gas聽is getting cheaper. At least two states had stations selling聽gas聽for $2.99 on Friday and it could fall below $3 in more areas over the weekend.

A plunge in oil聽prices聽has knocked more than 30 cents off the聽price聽of a gallon of聽gas聽in most parts of the U.S. since early April. The national average is now $3.61. Experts predict further declines in the next few weeks.

If Americans spend less filling their tanks, they'll have more money for discretionary purchases. The downside? Lower oil and聽gas聽prices聽are symptoms of weakening economic conditions in the U.S. and around the globe.

On Friday, oil plunged nearly 4 percent as a bleak report on U.S. job growth heightened worries about a slowing global economy and waning oil demand. The unemployment rate rose to 8.2 percent from 8.1 percent. Sobering economic news from China and Europe also contributed to the drop.

West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark for oil in the U.S, fell $3.30, or 3.7 percent, to $83.23 per barrel, the lowest聽price聽since early October. The drop adds to a 17 percent decline in May. Brent crude, which is used toprice聽international oil, lost $3.44, or 3.4 percent, to $98.43 per barrel, its lowest聽price聽since January 2011.

U.S. drivers should feel some relief, even if they're worried about jobs. Auto club AAA says pump聽prices聽fell nearly 5 percent in May, the largest monthly percentage drop since November. Some station owners in South Carolina on Friday even presented drivers with a gift at the start of summer driving season: $2.99聽gas.

Dan Durbin, president of R.L. Jordan Oil Co., says low wholesale聽prices聽allowed at least seven of the company's Hot Spot stations in Spartanburg, S.C., to lower the聽price聽to $2.99 per gallon. South Carolina also has the lowest聽gas聽tax in the nation.

Durbin predicted that more of his stations and some competitors will lower聽prices聽once they sell off higher-priced supplies currently in their tanks.

Gas聽also fell below $3 in Harrisonburg, Va. It could hit $2.99 or lower in Georgia, Missouri and Oklahoma perhaps as soon as this weekend, according to Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at Oil聽Price聽Information Service.

Gas聽hasn't been below $3 per gallon anywhere in at least two months.

Analyst Patrick DeHaan of the website GasBuddy.com expects聽prices聽to fall below $3 a gallon soon in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, which benefit from proximity to refining hubs.

Kloza predicts that motorists will pay an average of about $3.50 per gallon or lower by Father's Day. And drivers on the West Coast should see even bigger declines than other parts of the country. Their聽prices聽had been rising because of a聽gas聽shortage.

Gas聽prices聽should stabilize in July and August, Kloza says.

It's still questionable how much lower聽gas聽prices聽will boost consumer confidence.

Phil Flynn, an analyst for The聽Price聽Futures Group, believes falling聽gas聽prices聽could give consumers a psychological boost. But that could evaporate if hiring doesn't pick up and stock markets keep swooning.

"If you don't have a job, it doesn't matter if gasoline聽prices聽are $5 or $2 a gallon," he said.

Those who can afford a new car payment will appreciate falling聽gas聽prices. Automakers reported selling 1.3 million cars and trucks in May. Auto sales remain a bright spot in the U.S. economy. Still, those sales won't reverse a decline in聽gas聽demand in the U.S. because the new models are more fuel efficient than older ones heading to the scrap heap.

Energy futures fell across the board, as did global stock markets. Heating oil fell 7.53 cents to $2.628 per gallon, gasoline futures fell 6.59 cents to $2.657 per gallon and natural聽gas聽dropped 9.6 cents to $2.326 per 1,000 cubic feet. U.S. stock markets dropped more than 2 percent and are now lower for the year.