US consumer confidence inches up as gas falls below $4
Business
US consumer confidence got a small boost in June 2026, mostly because gas prices finally dipped below $4 a gallon for the first time since February.
But even with cheaper fuel, more people are finding it tough to land jobs: 22.5% said work is "hard to get," the highest since early 2021.
The overall confidence score nudged up to 91.2 but still missed expectations.
Fewer consumers expect job improvements
While folks feel a bit better about business conditions, most are not optimistic about the near future.
Fewer people expect things to improve for job availability in the next six months.
As Dana Peterson of the Conference Board put it, job prospects and personal outlooks remain pretty subdued right now.