Overview

• The Conference Board’s index slid 5.4 points in June, erasing nearly half of May’s improvement.
• Consumers across age, income and political groups pointed to tariff uncertainty and inflation as key reasons for their caution.
• Nearly 70 percent of Americans now expect a recession within a year, leading many to delay spending on homes, cars and appliances.
• The share of respondents saying jobs were plentiful dropped to 29.2 percent, the lowest since March 2021, even as May brought 139,000 new positions and unemployment held at 4.2 percent.
• Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said policy rates will remain steady while officials await clearer trade policy and tariff outlooks.