NEW YORK, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. consumer confidence index declined by 3.6 points in September to 94.2, down from 97.8 in August, according to a report released Tuesday by The Conference Board.
The report indicates that the Present Situation Index -- based on consumers' assessment of current business and labor market conditions -- fell by 7.0 points to 125.4. The Expectations Index, based on consumers' short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions, decreased by 1.3 points to 73.4. Expectations have been below the threshold of 80 that typically signals a recession ahead since February 2025.
Stephanie Guichard, senior economist at Global Indicators at The Conference Board, said that "Consumer confidence weakened in September, declining to the lowest level since April 2025."
The present situation component registered its largest drop in a year, said Guichard, noting that "Consumers' assessment of business conditions was much less positive than in recent months, while their appraisal of current job availability fell for the ninth straight month to reach a new multiyear low. This is consistent with the decline in job openings."
Guichard added that consumers' write-in responses showed that references to prices and inflation rose in September, regaining its top position as the main topic influencing consumers' views of the economy. ■
