Consumer sentiment among Americans, including Delaware residents, showed a small rebound in February after taking a sharp dive in January, according to new data released Tuesday.
The Conference Board reported that its monthly consumer confidence measurement climbed to 91.2 in February, up from a revised reading of 89 the previous month.
However, when looking ahead, Americans remain cautious about what’s coming. The index measuring short-term outlook for income, business conditions and employment jumped four points to 72, but stayed well beneath the 80 threshold that economists watch as a potential recession warning sign. This marks the 13th straight month this forward-looking indicator has remained below that critical level.
Meanwhile, how consumers view current economic conditions dropped 1.8 points to 120 this month.
Survey participants continued to express concerns about prices and inflation at elevated levels, with little change from previous months. References to trade policies and political issues increased among respondents, while worries about job market conditions decreased somewhat as employment perceptions showed slight improvement.
Economic experts describe the nation’s employment situation as being in a “low hire, low fire” pattern, with companies hesitant to make major staffing changes due to uncertainty surrounding Trump administration tariff policies and the ongoing impact of higher interest rates.
Federal data released earlier this month revealed that employers across the country added 130,000 nonfarm positions in January, exceeding expectations. However, total job creation for 2025 reached only 584,000 positions, representing roughly one-quarter of the more than 2 million jobs created during 2024.
This employment slowdown occurs despite continued U.S. economic expansion that frequently surpasses expert forecasts.
