Overview

• The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index fell 1.3 points to 97.4 in August, with both present conditions and expectations edging down.
• Perceptions of job availability declined for an eighth straight month, and the Expectations Index dropped to 74.8, a level often associated with near‑term recession risk.
• Average 12‑month inflation expectations rose to 6.2%, with more respondents explicitly citing tariffs and higher food costs in write‑in responses.
• Official labor data reinforced the softer sentiment, as July payrolls grew by 73,000, prior months were revised down by 258,000, and unemployment ticked up to 4.2%.
• Spending plans were uneven, with car‑buying intentions up, big‑ticket purchases and vacations down, homebuying stable, and confidence weakening among under‑35s but rising for those 55 and older.