The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index fell -7.0 pts to 98.3 in February, below expectations of a decline to 102.5.

• The Present Situation Index fell -3.4 pts to 136.5, and the Expectations Index fell -9.3 pts to 72.9.
• This was the largest monthly decline since August 2021 and the third in a row.
• February’s fall in confidence was shared across all age groups but was deepest for consumers between 35 and 55 years old. The decline was also broad-based among income groups, with the only exceptions among households earning less than $15,000 a year and between $100,000–125,000.
• 16.3% of consumers said jobs were “hard to get,” up from 14.5%, and 25.9% anticipated fewer jobs in the next six months, up from 21.0% in January.