Political partisanship has become so persistent in sentiment surveys that some economists say it’s getting harder to accurately measure moods of consumers. Surveys of Consumers director, Joanne Hsu, tells Marketplace that looking at how independents feel is a better gauge of sentiment, Independents’ confidence tends to land somewhere between that of Democrats and Republicans, “and… Continue reading The widening gap between political affiliation and consumer sentiment

ANN ARBOR—Consumer sentiment was little changed in November with a 2.6 index point decrease from last month that is within the margin of error, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. Over the course of the month, sentiment initially fell as the federal shutdown dragged on, then it lifted slightly later in the… Continue reading With end of shutdown and worries over high prices, consumer sentiment shows minor variation

Joanne Hsu, director of the Surveys of Consumers, tells Business Insider that Americans are well aware that inflation has fallen, but prices haven’t come down and consumers know that, too. She says, “People are broadly feeling pretty negative about the economy.”

ANN ARBOR—Consumer sentiment was essentially unchanged this month, slipping a scant 1.5 index points from September, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. A modest increase in sentiment among younger consumers was offset by decreases among middle-aged and older consumers. Current personal finances inched up, while expected personal finances receded, said U-M economist… Continue reading High prices remain key concern; sentiment holds steady

Joanne Hsu, writing for The Conversation, says the latest Surveys of Consumers data show almost no change between September and October: “Consumers are not feeling that optimistic at the moment, but generally no worse than they were last month.”

Because of the government shutdown, there is no federal jobs report, but there are still estimates of a declining labor market. Joanne Hsu said Americans have become increasingly worried about the outlook for their incomes and personal finances, adding consumers feel “pressure from both the prospect of higher inflation as well as the risk of… Continue reading Shutdown Creates Jobs Data Blackout—But Wall Street Says Employment Numbers Are Grim

ANN ARBOR—Consumer sentiment fell about 5% from last month but remains above the low readings seen in April and May of this year, confirming its early-month reading.  Although September’s decline was relatively modest, it was seen across a broad swath of the population, groups by age, income and education, said economist Joanne Hsu, director of… Continue reading Consumer sentiment declines amid concerns about inflation, unemployment

ANN ARBOR—Consumer sentiment fell back about 6% in August, declining for the first time in four months.  It is now about 20% below December 2024, when sentiment had exhibited a post-election bump, but remains above the trough in sentiment seen in April. This month’s decline was visible across groups by age, income and stock wealth,… Continue reading Consumer sentiment falls amid growing inflation worries