US Consumer Confidence Dropped to Lowest since Tariffs Introduced

By Fan-Yu Kuo
NAHB Eye on Housing
January 8, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

US Consumer confidence in December fell to the lowest level since April’s tariff implementation, reflective of growing concerns about reignited inflation and a weakening labor market affecting personal finances. The labor market differential, which measures the gap between consumers viewing job as plentiful and hard-to-get, continued to narrow and is now at its lowest level since February 2021. This is consistent with recent job reports showing fewer job openings and slower hiring. The decline in confidence stands in contrast to the recent solid GDP report for the third quarter. The Consumer Confidence Index, reported by the Conference Board, is a survey measuring how optimistic or pessimistic consumers feel about their financial situation. This index fell from 92.9 to 89.1 in December, the lowest level since April. …Consumers’ assessment of current business conditions deteriorated in December. …Meanwhile, consumers’ assessments of the labor market cooled further in December. 

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