US consumer confidence declines again as Americans fret over prices, job market

US Economy Shoppers walk by a clothing store, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in Miami Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) (Marta Lavandier/AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer confidence declines again in September as Americans’ pessimism over a inflation and weakening job market grew again.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell by 3.6 points to 94.2 in September, down from August’s 97.8. That’s a bigger drop than analysts were expecting and the lowest reading since April, when President Donald Trump rolled out his sweeping tariff policy.

A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market fell to 73.4, remaining well below 80, the marker that can signal a recession ahead.

Consumers’ assessments of their current economic situation dipped by 7 points to 125.4.

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