The Conference Board Employment Trends Index fell -0.84 pts to 107.7 in March, the lowest level since October 2024.

• The share of consumers who report ‘jobs are hard to get’ rose for the third consecutive month in April to 16.6%, the highest share since October. The shift in consumers’ labor market outlook is part of a broader decline in confidence, that saw the Consumer Expectations Index fall in April to its lowest level since October 2011.
• The share of small firms that report jobs are ‘not able to be filled right now’ (an ETI component) fell by 6 percentage points to 34%, the lowest mark since September.