Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Consumer Confidence Drops, Service Sector Rebounding

UPDATED -- Economic Watch: Consumers are not feeling quite as rosy about the U.S. economy, while a separate report shows a rebound in economic conditions for the U.S. services sector.

Evan Lockridge
Evan LockridgeFormer Business Contributing Editor
July 28, 2015
Consumer Confidence Drops, Service Sector Rebounding

 

3 min to read


UPDATED -- Consumers are not feeling quite as rosy about the U.S. economy, while a separate report shows a rebound in economic conditions for the U.S. services sector.

The Consumer Confidence Index from the private research group The Conference Board declined this month to a reading of 90.9 following a June increase to 99.8. This latest reading is the lowest level since last September.

Ad Loading...

“Consumers continue to assess current conditions favorably, but their short-term expectations deteriorated this month,” said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board. “A less optimistic outlook for the labor market, and perhaps the uncertainty and volatility in financial markets prompted by the situation in Greece and China, appears to have shaken consumers’ confidence.”

She said overall, the index remains at levels associated with an expanding economy and a relatively confident consumer.

Overall, the index remains at levels associated with an expanding economy and a relatively confident consumer.

The survey's Present Situation Index decreased moderately from 110.3 last month to 107.4 in July, while the Expectations Index declined sharply to 79.9 from 92.8 in June.

Ad Loading...

Consumers’ saying business conditions are “good” dropped from 26.1% to 24.2%. However, those claiming business conditions are “bad” was virtually unchanged at 17.9%.

They were slightly less positive about the job market, with those stating jobs are “plentiful” dropping from 21.3% to 20.7%.

Consumers expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months fell from 17.9% to 14.7%, while those expecting business conditions to worsen rose slightly from 10.2% to 10.7%

Also their outlook for the labor market was less optimistic. The number anticipating more jobs in the months ahead fell from 17.1% to 13.1%, while those anticipating fewer jobs increased from 15.2% to 20%.

The proportion of consumers expecting growth in their incomes edged down from 17.6% to 17%, while the proportion expecting a decline increased slightly from 10.6% to 11.2%.

Ad Loading...

Services Growth

Meantime, a separate report from the financial information services provider Markit showed U.S. service providers said there was a slight rebound in business activity growth this month from the five-month low recorded in June.

This was highlighted by a rise in the seasonally adjusted Markit Flash U.S. Services PMI Business Activity Index from 54.8 to 55.2 in July. The latest index reading was well above the crucial 50 no-change mark, but still weaker than the average of 56.3 for 2015 to date.

Higher levels of service sector output have been recorded by the survey in each month since November 2013, with the latest upturn attributed to improving U.S. economic conditions and an associated increase in client spending, according to the report. July data indicated that overall growth of new work picked up to a three-month high, reflecting rising levels of business and consumer spending, alongside successful marketing strategies and new product launches.

The report follows one from a few days earlier showing a rebound in the U.S. manufacturing sector during July.

"The latest data point to a reasonably robust 2% annualized gross domestic product growth rate at the start of the third quarter."

“Having indicated a worrying slowdown in June, the flash PMI surveys showed that both the services and manufacturing sectors enjoyed modestly stronger growth in July,” said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit. “This is by no means runaway growth, but the latest data point to a reasonably robust 2% annualized gross domestic product growth rate at the start of the third quarter, down from the 2.75% rate signaled by the surveys over the second quarter as a whole but still a solid rate of expansion.”

Ad Loading...

He said both surveys also suggest that first quarter GDP growth will be revised to show a stronger start to the year than previously thought, adding to the upbeat tone of the economy’s performance so far this year.

“The upturn in the survey data will help to reassure policymakers that the economy is continuing along a moderate growth path which will inevitably further fuel suspicions that the U.S. Federal Reserve will step up its rhetoric in terms of interest rates starting to rise later this year, upping the odds of a September [interest rate] hike,” Williamson said.

Update adds when consumer sentiment was last as low.

More Fleet Management

Graphic with U.S. and Canadian flags over background illustration of an ink-stamp that says Tariffs.
Equipmentby Deborah LockridgeAugust 24, 2026

What the U.S.-Canada Trade War Means for Trucking

Escalating U.S.-Canada tariffs could disrupt cross-border freight, reduce truck volumes, raise costs, and create new uncertainty for carriers on both sides of the border.

Read More →
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseAugust 24, 2026

What Are Trucking’s Top Concerns for 2026?

The American Transportation Research Institute wants to know what's worrying trucking fleet managers, drivers, and other stakeholders in its annual Industry Issues survey.

Read More →
Four men in suits on the National Mall with giant video screen showing capitol building in the background
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 24, 2026

American Trucking Associations Looks for a New Leader

ATA President and CEO Chris Spear abruptly left his job at the association on August 21, at a pivotal time for the trucking industry.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
The Cyber Stop column header with photo of a smiling driver in truck with a laptop and a wi-fi icon
Fleet ManagementAugust 21, 2026

Public Wi-Fi Cybersecurity Risks: How Truck Drivers and Fleets Can Protect Their Data

Public Wi-Fi can expose truck drivers and fleets to credential theft, malware, and other cyber threats. Here’s how to reduce the risk on the road.

Read More →
Woman in white blazer superimposed on background showing a row of Fraley & Schilling truck, plus the HDT Truck Fleet Innovators 2026 logo
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 19, 2026

For Nicky Cupp, Fleet Innovation Starts With Frustration

HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Nicky Cupp turns everyday pain points at Fraley & Schilling into opportunities for better technology and smarter processes.

Read More →
Headshot of Adam Buttgenbach with a Pepsi-branded Tesla Semi in the background
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 18, 2026

Adam Buttgenbach’s Approach to Electric Trucks: Start With Where They Fit

HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Adam Buttgenbach helped PepsiCo build one of North America’s largest EV fleets by focusing on where electric trucks make operational sense.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Deen Albert in collared shirt superimposed on background showing a Grand Island Express blue tractor pulling a trailer, plus the HDT Truck Fleet Innovators 2026 logo
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 17, 2026

Deen Albert: Let Automation Do the Math, People Make the Decisions

HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Deen Albert makes sure people are still at the heart of operations at Grand Island Express, even while adopting artificial intelligence tools. AI-assisted dispatch helped boost revenue 25% with the same number of trucks.

Read More →
Illustration of computer screen with Trimble Arc Agent screen
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 14, 2026

Trimble’s New AI Agent Takes Aim at Fleet Back-Office Busywork

Arc Agent works across Trimble TMS products to automate repetitive tasks such as freight orders, maintenance, invoices, fuel costs and more.

Read More →
Photos of three men and two women with HDT Truck Fleet Innovators 2026 logo
Fleet ManagementCover Storyby Deborah LockridgeAugust 13, 2026

How HDT’s 2026 Truck Fleet Innovators Are Rethinking Fleet Operations

Meet five trucking leaders who are challenging assumptions, solving operational problems, and putting innovative ideas to work.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Graph showing how contract rates and spot rates converged in July
Fleet Managementby StaffAugust 12, 2026

Tight Trucking Capacity Pushes Rates Higher Even as Freight Volumes Fall

“Spot rates moving ahead of contract rates have historically signaled a tightening market, but we haven’t seen a capacity-driven market quite like this one,” said DAT's Dean Croke.

Read More →