American consumers grew less confident in September, according to a new report from The Conference Board, which showed sentiment deteriorating to its lowest point since April as assessments of job availability fell for the ninth straight month to a multiyear low.
The Conference Board said on Sept. 30 that its consumer confidence index fell to 94.2 in September, down from 97.8 in August, reflecting gloomier views of current and future economic conditions.
“The present situation component registered its largest drop in a year,” Stephanie Guichard, a senior economist at The Conference Board, said in a statement.
The expectations index, which is a forward-looking measure that assesses consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and job market conditions, retreated by 1.3 points to a reading of 73.4….