Consumer Confidence Slides for Fifth Straight Month

Consumer Confidence Slides for Fifth Straight Month

Consumer confidence fell more than expected in April as economic uncertainty clouds Americans’ outlook for the future.

The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index ticked down to 86 from March’s revised reading of 93.9, marking the fifth consecutive month of declines. Economists polled by FactSet were expecting the index to fall to a reading of 88.

The expectations index, which measures consumers' short-term outlook for the economy, plunged 12.5 points to a reading of 54.4, the lowest level since October 2011. The share of consumers expecting fewer jobs in the next six months–32.1%–was nearly as high as in April 2009, said Stephanie Guichard, senior economist of global indicators at The Conference Board.