American consumers grew markedly more downbeat in November as confidence slid to its weakest level since April, retail spending cooled, and inflation worries continued to weigh on household finances, according to a run of new data pointing to softer momentum heading into the holiday season.
The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index, released on Nov. 25, fell 6.8 points to 88.7 as views of current business conditions weakened and expectations for the next six months deteriorated further. The expectations gauge fell to 63.2, marking its tenth straight month below the recession-signaling threshold of 80. Households also reported the steepest drop in assessments of their own finances since late 2024.
