Consumer Behavior

Consumer confidence takes a tumble

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April 2, 2025

Consumer confidence has declined for the fourth consecutive month as of March and confidence regarding future employment prospects hit a 12-year low, according to The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index.

The index dipped by 7.2 points in March to 92.9 and consumers' assessment of current business and labor market conditions decreased 3.6 points to 134.5, according to a press release on the report's data.

"Consumers' optimism about future income — which had held up quite strongly in the past few months — largely vanished, suggesting worries about the economy and labor market have started to spread into consumers' assessments of their personal situations," Stephanie Guichard, senior economist, global indicators, at The Conference Board, said in the release

March's fall in confidence was driven by consumers over 55 years old and, to a lesser extent, those between 35 and 55 years old. By contrast, confidence rose slightly among consumers under 35, as an uptick in their assessments of the present situation more than offset gloomier expectations. The decline was also broad-based across income groups, with the only exception being households earning more than $125,000 a year.

The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey, based on an online sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Toluna.