US CB Consumer Confidence (Aug) 89.4 vs. Exp. 90.2 (Prev. 90.2)

Present Situation Consumers’ views of current business conditions improved slightly in August: 18.9% of consumers said business conditions were “good,” down from 19.1% in July. 17.6% said business conditions were “bad,” down from 17.9%. Consumers’ views of the labor market improved in August, recovering to April levels: 27.0% of consumers said jobs were “plentiful,” up from 24.4% in July. Conversely, 19.5% of consumers said jobs were “hard to get,” down from 21.7%. 6-month view Consumers were less optimistic about future business conditions in August: 16.8% of consumers expected business conditions to improve, down from 17.8% in July. 23.1% expected business conditions to worsen, up from 21.6%. Consumers were more negative about the labor market outlook in August: 14.6% of consumers expected more jobs to be available, down from 16.4% in July. Additionally, 26.1% anticipated fewer jobs, up slightly from 25.3%. Consumers’ outlook for their income prospects was less optimistic in August: 17.6% of consumers expected their income to increase, down from 19.5% in July. 13.8% expected their income to decline, up from 12.6%.