(MENAFN) The Conference Board revealed Tuesday that its Consumer Confidence Index crashed to 88.7 for November, marking a steep 6.8-point drop from October's 95.5 reading.

The gauge measuring current conditions—the Present Situation Index—slid 4.3 points to reach 126.9, reflecting how Americans view today's employment landscape and business environment. Meanwhile, the forward-looking Expectations Index plummeted 8.6 points to 63.2, capturing consumer projections for earnings, corporate activity, and job market trends in coming months.

Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, stated: "Consumer confidence tumbled in November to its lowest level since April after moving sideways for several months." She added: "All five components of the overall index flagged or remained weak."

A concerning pattern has emerged: the Expectations Index has stayed beneath the critical 80 threshold for ten consecutive months—a benchmark that historically signals potential recession. Survey data collection concluded preliminarily on Nov. 18.

Peterson further noted: "Consumers were notably more pessimistic about business conditions six months from now." She explained: "Mid-2026 expectations for labor market conditions remained decidedly negative, and expectations for increased household incomes shrank dramatically, after six months of strongly positive readings."

Employment outlook darkened considerably, with merely 27.6 percent of survey participants characterizing available positions as "plentiful," retreating from October's 28.6 percent figure.

These findings emerged simultaneously with ADP data showing American private employers eliminated an average of 13,500 positions weekly during the four-week span through Nov. 8.

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