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

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 

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

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

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 

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.”