Story perspectives

Consumer confidence drops to 81.9, September’s lowest since 2014

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 11:28 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The Conference Board reported U.S. consumer confidence fell to 81.9 in September, the lowest since April 2014.
Respondents' view of current conditions dropped 7.9 points to 109.3.
Short-term outlook slid 5.9 points to 63.6.
The Labor Department said the consumer price index rose 3.4% year-over-year in September, matching July.
The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate by a quarter point to about 3.9% in mid-September.

History

Historical Context

In March 1980, the Federal Reserve, led by Chairman Paul Volcker, raised its discount rate to 20%, sparking a severe recession. The Conference Board logged consumer confidence at 56.5, the CPI jumped 13.5% year-over-year, and the U.S. Treasury recorded a $70 billion deficit. Today's September dip to 81.9 confidence, a 3.4% CPI rise, and the Fed’s 3.9% rate hike echo the 1980 inflation-rate clash. The 1980 shock proved that aggressive monetary tightening can suppress demand but also prolong unemployment, warning policymakers of similar trade-offs now.

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Story summary

The Conference Board reported U.S. consumer confidence fell to 81.9 in September, the lowest since April 2014.
Respondents' view of current conditions dropped 7.9 points to 109.3.
Short-term outlook slid 5.9 points to 63.6.
The Labor Department said the consumer price index rose 3.4% year-over-year in September, matching July.
The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate by a quarter point to about 3.9% in mid-September.

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