US Consumer Confidence Falls to 81.9 in September, Lowest Since April 2014

WASHINGTON — US consumer confidence plunged 6.7 points to 81.9 in September, the lowest reading since April 2014 and below pandemic-era troughs, the Conference Board reported September 29, 2026, citing elevated prices and stagnating wages. The present situation index fell 7.9 points to 109.3 and the short-term outlook dropped 5.9 points to 63.6. Write-in responses collected September 1-23 were mostly pessimistic, citing high gas, goods, and service costs; current business conditions turned negative for the first time since September 2024. Consumer inflation rose 3.4% year-over-year, with gasoline averaging $4.46 a gallon. The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate a quarter-point to about 3.9%, its first hike since 2023. Average hourly wages rose 3.1% year-over-year, the weakest since May 2021. The September jobs report is due Friday.