US Consumers Grow More Optimistic About Future Finances, Recession Fears Retreat

Consumers remained cautious on big-ticket spending, but expectations for household finances reached their most positive level in nearly a year.

Shoppers on Black Friday at a mall in Bethesda, Md., on Nov. 28, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

U.S. consumers grew more hopeful about their future financial prospects in December and edged away from worst-case recession fears, even as overall confidence slipped for a fifth straight month, according to a Dec. 23 report from the The Conference Board.

The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index fell 3.8 points, to 89.1 in December, down from a revised 92.9 in November, reflecting weaker views of current business and labor market conditions. But beneath the headline decline, forward-looking indicators pointed to improving household sentiment, easing inflation anxiety, and a more constructive outlook for markets heading into 2026.