WASHINGTON, June 24, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - US consumer confidence diminished in 
June, according to survey data released by a research group Tuesday, missing 
expectations as worries about President Donald Trump's tariffs and the 
possibility of higher inflation persisted. 

The Conference Board's consumer confidence index dropped by 5.4 points this 
month to 93.0, from 98.4 in May.

"Consumer confidence weakened in June, erasing almost half of May's sharp 
gains," said Stephanie Guichard, a senior economist at The Conference Board.

She added that the decline was "broad-based," with consumers' assessments of 
current conditions and expectations of the future both contributing to the 
deterioration.

A consensus forecast of analysts by Briefing.com had instead predicted an 
uptick to 99.0 points.

Consumers' views of current job availability worsened for a sixth straight 
month, while they also appeared more gloomy about business conditions and 
jobs over the next six months, Guichard said.

But the main issues affecting their views of the economy remained little 
changed from the prior month.

Trump's sweeping tariffs are still at the forefront for consumers, and "were 
frequently associated with concerns about their negative impacts on the 
economy and prices," Guichard said.

Inflation and high costs were another key worry, the report said.

While consumers were eyeing geopolitics and social unrest, with more 
references to these factors in June than earlier months, these remained lower 
on the list of issues impacting assessments.

"June's retreat in confidence was shared by all age groups and almost all 
income groups," said The Conference Board.

"It was also shared across all political affiliations, with the largest 
decline among Republicans," the report added.

In June, purchasing plans for homes dipped and more consumers were uncertain 
about plans to buy big-ticket items overall.