Consumer confidence hits lowest level since 2014

The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index fell 6.7 points in September to 81.9, its lowest reading since 2014, as respondents expressed greater concern about current business conditions and the economic outlook. The index stood at 88.6 in August. The Conference Board released the results Tuesday, September 29. Both components of the survey declined. The Present Situation Index, measuring views of current business and labor conditions, dropped 7.9 points to 109.3. The Expectations Index, which tracks views of income, business and employment over the next six months, fell 5.9 points to 63.6, its third consecutive monthly decline. Conference Board chief economist Dana Peterson said consumers’ assessments of current business conditions turned negative for the first time since September 2024. Views of the labor market also worsened, though they remained positive overall. Respondents still generally expected household incomes to rise, but anticipated smaller gains than in prior months, while expecting business conditions and the labor market to weaken. The survey’s responses were collected from September 1 through September 23.