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FILE - Shoppers wait in line to enter Macy's flagship store on Nov. 28, 2025 in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, File)

Consumer confidence slides in December to lowest level since US tariffs rolled out in April

U.S. consumers were less confident in the economy in December as Americans remain anxious about still-high prices and the impact of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell 3.8 points to 89.1 in December from November’s upwardly revised reading of 92.9. That reading was 85.7 in April, when Trump rolled out his import taxes on U.S. trading partners. A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market remained stable at 70.7, but remains well below 80, the marker that can signal a recession ahead. It was the 11th straight month that reading has come in under 80.

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FILE - A customer turns away after looking at big-screen televisions on display in a Best Buy store, Nov. 21, 2023, in southeast Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, file)

Consumer confidence dips modestly in October with Americans concerned about the future

Consumer confidence weakened slightly in October as Americans remain anxious about their future financial prospects. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell by 1 point to 94.6 in October from an upwardly revised September reading of 95.6. Analysts were expecting the reading to come in unchanged from the previous month. One year ago, the reading was 109.5. A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market dipped by 2.9 points to 71.5, remaining well below 80, the marker that can signal a recession ahead. However, consumers’ assessments of their current economic situation rose 1.8 points to 129.3.

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FILE - A shopper selects a carton of 18 Large Grade A eggs from a cooler in a Costco Warehouse in Cranberry, Pa., Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Americans sour on US economy and anxiety over tariffs remains the chief culprit

Americans’ view of the economy worsened in June, wiping out much of the previous month’s gain which followed a string of declines that had dragged consumer confidence to its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index slid to 93 in June, down 5.4 points from 98.4 last month. A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market fell 4.6 points to 69. That’s well below 80, the marker that can signal a recession ahead.

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