{"id":1096,"date":"2025-10-28T12:44:51","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T17:44:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/consumer-confidence-edges-down-over-government-shutdown-concerns-and-inflation\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T10:47:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:47:23","slug":"consumer-confidence-edges-down-over-government-shutdown-concerns-and-inflation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/consumer-confidence-edges-down-over-government-shutdown-concerns-and-inflation\/","title":{"rendered":"Consumer Confidence Edges Down Over Government Shutdown Concerns and Inflation"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Consumer confidence about the economy declined slightly in October, driven by Americans\u2019 concerns over the ongoing federal government shutdown, rising inflation, and future scarcity of jobs.<\/p>\n
The Consumer Confidence Index, a measure of U.S. consumers\u2019 sentiments about personal finances and the economy, slipped 1 point in October, to 94.6, from an upwardly revised 95.6 the previous month, marking the lowest reading since April, the Conference Board reported on Tuesday. <\/p>\n
“Consumers were a bit more pessimistic about future job availability and future business conditions while optimism about future income retreated slightly,” says Stephanie Guichard<\/strong>, senior economist for the Conference Board.<\/p>\n
Guichard adds that consumers’ write-in responses, which were mostly negative, were led by references to prices and inflation, which continued to be the main topic influencing Americans\u2019 views of the economy. <\/p>\n
Specifically, consumers’ average 12-month inflation expectations rose to 5.9% in October, up from 5.8% in September. <\/p>\n
“References to U.S. politics were up notably, with the ongoing government shutdown mentioned multiple times as a key concern,” notes the Conference Board economist.<\/p>\n
Nearly 28% of surveyed consumers said they expect fewer job opportunities in the next six months, up from 25.7%\u2014even though their appraisal of current employment availability improved for the first time since December 2024.<\/p>\n
The future outlook for income prospects was also bleaker in October, while the share of consumers anticipating business conditions to brighten slipped from 19.3% to 19%. <\/p>\n