Americans have grown more pessimistic about the outlook for the U.S. economy with the lapse of unemployment benefits even as the latest Covid wave has slowed the jobs recovery. Although the pandemic is now on the wane, investors have turned less bullish amid inflation worries and the Dow Jones’ first […] Read more »
Consumer Confidence Fell in August to Lowest Level since February
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® declined in August, following a decrease in July (a downward revision). The Index now stands at 113.8 (1985=100), down from 125.1 in July. The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—fell to 147.3 from 157.2 last month. The […] Read more »
Plunge in confidence due to economics, emotions
Consumer sentiment fell in August by 13.4% from July, recording the least favorable economic prospects in more than a decade, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. The Sentiment Index has only recorded larger losses in six other monthly surveys since 1978, with the largest losses in how […] Read more »
Four in Ten Parents of School-Aged Children Say a Child Fell Behind Academically Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
As a result of the pandemic, about four in ten (39%) parents of school-aged children (ages 5-17) say at least one of their children fell behind academically, rising to half among parents with household incomes below $40,000 (51%) and Hispanic parents (50%), a new KFF Vaccine Monitor report shows. Among […] Read more »
Americans’ Confidence in Racial Fairness Waning
Americans are less certain today than in the recent past that equality of economic opportunity exists for Black Americans. This is seen in slimmer majorities perceiving there to be equality for Black people in employment or housing in their own communities. Also, less than half of Americans believe racial minorities, […] Read more »
Consumer Confidence Relatively Unchanged in July
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® was relatively unchanged in July, following gains in each of the prior five months. The Index now stands at 129.1 (1985=100), up from 128.9 in June. The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—rose from 159.6 to 160.3. […] Read more »