consumer sentiment

A century ago, Americans spent nearly half of their income on food. Today, that figure is closer to one-tenth. Bryan Walsh at Vox talks about how we got here.

Americans were less worried about the short-term trajectory of inflation and hiring in January, according to a survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Consumers are feeling worse about the economy than they were at this time last year.

Economic stress can have an unexpected effect on consumer behavior, causing an increase in smaller, indulgent purchases that analysts call the “lipstick effect.”

Wholesale inflation rose from 2.8% in October to 3.0% in November, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report. But where inflation is headed is as much about how consumers feel as it is about what wholesalers are paying.

 End-of-year surveys measured a glum economic mood.

Consumers started 2025 feeling optimistic, but have ended on a low note.

The survey sheds light on how consumers feel about the economy at a time when government reports have been postponed or canceled due to the shutdown.

When analysts want to know how Americans are feeling about the economy, they look to consumer surveys from The Conference Board and the University of Michigan. But they each paint a slightly different picture of people under age 35.

Political partisanship has become so persistent in sentiment surveys that some economists say it’s getting harder to accurately measure moods of consumers.