ANN ARBOR—Consumer sentiment fell for the third straight month as supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to lift gasoline prices, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. Sentiment is now just below the previous historical trough seen in June 2022. The cost of living continues to be a first-order concern, with… Continue reading Consumer confidence falls as gas prices, inflation worries climb
News Tag: Economic Behavior
U-M research spending generates $164M for Michigan businesses
ANN ARBOR—University of Michigan federal grants supported more than 16,000 jobs and generated nearly $396 million in research-related spending nationwide in fiscal year 2025. According to a recent report produced by the Institute for Research on Innovation and Science at ISR, spending reached vendors in more than 600 U.S. counties and more than 400 congressional districts, highlighting… Continue reading U-M research spending generates $164M for Michigan businesses
Research Experiment: Sharing a Family Photo Helps Migrant Workers Elicit Employer Empathy
Could sharing a family photo with an employer make workplace mistreatment less likely to occur? Researchers studying Filipino domestic workers, in collaboration with the Philippine government through the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, found that small gestures– providing a small gift of dried mangos and showing a family photo to new employers overseas– reduced mistreatment, increased… Continue reading Research Experiment: Sharing a Family Photo Helps Migrant Workers Elicit Employer Empathy
Consumer confidence is back to mid-2022 lows, with wars, gas and durable high prices
ANN ARBOR—Consumer sentiment fell back for the second consecutive month, reaching a low comparable to its mid-2022 trough, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. Declines in sentiment were seen across political party, income, age and education, reflecting the broad-based nature of this month’s results. Expected business conditions declined for both the short… Continue reading Consumer confidence is back to mid-2022 lows, with wars, gas and durable high prices
Sentiment falls amid Iran conflict, soaring gas prices
ANN ARBOR—Consumer sentiment fell 6% this month for its lowest reading since December 2025, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. These declines were seen across age and political party. Consumers with middle and higher incomes and stock wealth, who are buffeted both by escalating gas prices and volatile financial markets, exhibited particularly… Continue reading Sentiment falls amid Iran conflict, soaring gas prices
Michigan Minds podcast: Why cooling inflation isn’t saving your bank account
Economist Joanne Hsu, director of the Surveys of Consumers at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, specializes in the fields of household finance, consumer sentiment and the impact of economic expectations on the national economy. Hsu joins the Michigan Minds podcast to discuss her findings on current consumer sentiment, offering insight into persistent high… Continue reading Michigan Minds podcast: Why cooling inflation isn’t saving your bank account
Sentiment stagnates, wealth gaps grow
ANN ARBOR—Consumer sentiment stagnated this month with very little change, just 0.2 index points higher than January, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. All index components posted insignificant movements this month; overall, consumers do not perceive any material change in the economy in February. About 46% of consumers spontaneously mentioned high prices… Continue reading Sentiment stagnates, wealth gaps grow
Not all gigs are equal: Informal self-employment linked to lower pay, poorer health and instability
ANN ARBOR—Not all self-employment guarantees financial security, with informal arrangements posing the greatest risks to well-being for many workers. Using machine learning to classify self-employment, a new University of Michigan study analyzed narrative job descriptions from the 2003-2019 Panel Study of Income Dynamics, a longitudinal dataset with approximately 10,000 U.S. families. They divided self-employment into… Continue reading Not all gigs are equal: Informal self-employment linked to lower pay, poorer health and instability
Small uptick, consumer views hold negative
ANN ARBOR—Consumer sentiment lifted about 3.5 index points this month, with minor gains seen across all index components, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. While the overall improvement was small, it was broad-based across the population, seen across groups by income distribution, educational attainment, older and younger consumers, and Republicans and Democrats… Continue reading Small uptick, consumer views hold negative
Sentiment higher than last month but down from a year ago; worries about buying power, unemployment
ANN ARBOR—Consumer sentiment inched up a scant 1.9 index points from November, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. Buying conditions for durable goods fell for the fifth straight month, whereas expectations for personal finances and business conditions rose. The outlook for labor markets lifted a bit this month, though a solid majority… Continue reading Sentiment higher than last month but down from a year ago; worries about buying power, unemployment