PANews reported on March 28 that according to Jinshi, the final value of the US Consumer Confidence Index was consistent with the preliminary data at the beginning of this month, falling for the third consecutive month, a sharp drop of 12% from February. The expectations index fell sharply by 18%, and has fallen by more than 30% since November 2024. This month's decline reflects a clear consensus among all groups with different demographic characteristics and political tendencies: since February, Republicans, like independents and Democrats, have worsened their expectations for their personal finances, business environment, unemployment and inflation. Consumers are still worried that they may face economic difficulties in the context of changing economic policies.
Notably, two-thirds of consumers expect unemployment to rise in the coming year, the highest level since 2009. Given that strong labor markets and incomes have been the main force supporting consumer spending in recent years, this trend reveals a key vulnerability among consumers.