The American consumer’s confidence in the U.S. economy improved slightly in February after cratering a month earlier.
The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 91.2 in February from an upwardly revised 89 last month.
A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market rose four points to 72, remaining well below 80, the marker that can signal a recession ahead. It’s the 13th consecutive month that reading has come in under 80.
The measure of consumers’ assessments of their current economic situation fell by 1.8 points to 120.
Respondents’ references to prices and inflation were little changed but remained elevated. Mentions of trade and politics increased, while references to labor market conditions eased as perceptions of the job market improved modestly this month.
The country’s labor market has been stuck in a “low hire, low fire” state, economists say, as businesses stand pat due to uncertainty over Trump’s tariffs and the lingering effects of elevated interest rates.
Read the full story from the Associated Press.
