US Consumer Sentiment Falls to Second-Lowest on Record

2025-11-07 15:02 By Joana Ferreira 1 min. read

The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index fell to 50.3 in November, down from 53.6 in October and below expectations of 53.2, a preliminary estimate showed.

The reading marked the second-lowest on record, just above the June 2022 low, as Americans grew increasingly concerned about the potential economic fallout from the longest US government shutdown in history.

The Current Economic Conditions Index fell to an all-time low of 52.3, driven by a 17% drop in assessments of current personal finances, while the Consumer Expectations Index slipped to a six-month low of 49.0, reflecting an 11% decline in year-ahead business expectations.

Sentiment weakened broadly across age, income, and political groups, with one exception: households in the top third of stock ownership reported an 11% rise in confidence, supported by stock market strength.

Inflation expectations were mixed: year-ahead inflation inched up to 4.7% from 4.6%, while long-term expectations eased to 3.6% from 3.9%.



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