Sherwood News

Consumer confidence falls sharply

With prices still high, tariffs looming, and stocks taking a hit, sentiment has slid to its lowest since 2021.

3/26/25 10:52AM

American consumers aren’t feeling so good.

The US Consumer Confidence Index, which measures how optimistic (or not) people feel about the economy, fell to 92.9 in March — its lowest level since February 2021. It also marks the fourth straight monthly decline since postelection euphoria in November.

Expectations on income, business, and job market conditions over the next six months also fell to 65.2, a 12-year low and well below the 80-point threshold that often signals a recession.

According to the Conference Board, inflation still remains a major concern, with prices for household staples like eggs and trade policy uncertainties weighing on consumers. New tariffs could push costs higher, and major retailers are already seeing signs of strain — from smaller pack-size purchases to softer-than-expected sales, CNBC reported.

The share of respondents saying they expected stock prices to rise over the next 12 months also dropped, from 46.7% in February to 37.4% in March.

The confidence dip is the latest sign of growing household stress: in February, the share of Americans confident they could cover a $2,000 emergency expense fell to a record low.

Hyunsoo Rim

hardly working

5/27/26

Teens aren’t getting summer jobs like they used to — this year could be worse than ever

Teen summer hiring in the US might hit its lowest level since federal tracking began, new report finds.

Saleah Blancaflor

5/15/26

From Desi Arnaz to SpaceX: Understanding the rules of the modern economy

We talked with “Planet Money” author Alex Mayyasi about how AI might help or replace you, the superstar effect, and how the compounding effect extends beyond money.

Globes covered with various currencies suspended in space

Millie Giles5/8/26

Ahead of Mother’s Day, Google searches for “same day flower delivery” have ticked up a little earlier this year

If you’ve already made plans for a Mother’s Day gift in advance of this Sunday, congratulations. But if alarm bells are suddenly ringing, consider this a gentle reminder that, like a sizable share of the US population this time of year often does, you can still scrape together some last-minute flowers for the woman who carried you for nine months.

Data from Google Trends reveals that searches for “same day flower delivery” spike in the US in May every year, when Mother’s Day takes place. As we noted last February, the same query also gains traction around Valentine’s Day.

This year, however, it appears that searches for last-minute flowers have remained elevated in the last two months after the usual peak in February — with the search interest this April actually exceeding that seen around Cupid’s Day.

Honestly, we’re not sure why searches are spiking a little early. One explanation might be that Passover and Easter have overlapped at the start of April, and Americans wanted to celebrate with some flowers. Maybe it’s a host of Claude bots that are now running errands for AI-obsessed execs — or perhaps Americans are just impulse-buying some seasonal spring blooms after an unusually warm March, without a particular occasion.