US Consumer Confidence Drops 6.7 Points to 81.9 in September
The Conference Board index fell sharply as Americans grew more pessimistic about both current conditions and the economic outlook.
American consumer confidence deteriorated significantly in September, with the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index sliding 6.7 points to 81.9, down from a revised 88.6 in August, according to data released Tuesday.
Both major components of the index moved lower. The Present Situation Index, which measures how consumers assess current business and labor market conditions, declined alongside the Expectations Index, which tracks short-term outlook for income, business, and employment — a broad-based retreat signaling widespread unease among households.
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A reading below 80 on the Conference Board's scale is historically associated with recession-level sentiment, making September's figure a closely watched threshold. The index is benchmarked to 1985, when its baseline was set at 100, meaning current readings reflect a substantially dimmer view than that reference period.
The September drop continues a pattern of volatility in consumer sentiment that economists and policymakers monitor as a leading indicator of spending behavior. Consumer expenditures account for the majority of US economic output, making confidence surveys an early signal of potential shifts in growth momentum.
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