Economic Watch: Consumer Confidence Slips
A measure of how consumers feel about the economy fell this month after increasing in January, according to the data from the private research group The Conference Board.


A measure of how consumers feel about the economy fell this month after increasing in January, according to the data from the private research group The Conference Board.
Its Consumer Confidence Index now stands at 78.1, down from 79.4 in January. The decline was driven by the Expectations Index, which dropped to 75.7 from 80.8, while the Present Situation Index, in contrast, climbed from 77.3 to 81.7, it best level in nearly six years.
“Consumer confidence declined moderately in February, on concern over the short-term outlook for business conditions, jobs, and earnings,” explains Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board. “While expectations have fluctuated over recent months, current conditions have continued to trend upward ... This suggests that consumers believe the economy has improved, but they do not foresee it gaining considerable momentum in the months ahead.”
Consumers’ appraisal of current conditions improved for the fourth consecutive month. Those claiming business conditions are “good” increased to 21.5% from 20.8%, while those claiming business conditions are “bad” declined to 22.6% from 23.4%.
Consumers’ assessment of the labor market also improved. Those claiming jobs are “plentiful” increased to 13.9% from 12.5%, while those saying jobs are “hard to get” decreased slightly to 32.5% from 32.7%.
Meantime, consumers’ expectations, which had been improving over the past two months, retreated in February. The percentage expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months decreased to 16.3% from 17%, while those anticipating business conditions to worsen increased to 13.3% from 12.2%.
Consumers’ outlook for the labor market was also more pessimistic. Those expecting more jobs in the months ahead declined to 13.3% from 15.1%, while those anticipating fewer jobs increased to 20.6% from 19%. The proportion of consumers expecting their incomes to increase declined from 16.6% to 15.4%, but those anticipating a decrease in their incomes also declined, from 13.9% to 13.1%.
This news comes as record-setting cold weather has taxed a good part of the U.S. this year, both mentally and economically. This has lead to increasing expectations that overall economic growth will be hurt in the current quarter, according to Reuters. However, others say Old Man Winter shouldn’t be getting all the blame for recent disappointing economic reports.
More Fleet Management

How Innovative Trucking Leaders Turn Change Into an Advantage
As the pace of change accelerates in trucking, the fleets that adapt best have more than the latest technology. They have cultures that embrace improvement.
Read More →
Freight Broker Bonds Just Got Harder to Get. Here's What That Means for Your Fleet.
When it gets harder for a freight broker to prove they are financially sound, the ones who cannot clear that bar get pushed out of the market. And those are exactly the brokers who used to leave motor carriers holding the bag.
Read More →
Long-Awaited Canadian Border Bridge to Open in Detroit
For trucking, the bridge opening should offer immediate improvements in efficiency and reliability, with new customs facilities, expanded inspection capacity, and direct freeway-to-freeway connections.
Read More →
Aurora Rolls Out Next Generation of Driverless Trucks for Commercial Freight
Aurora's latest autonomous trucks it's rolling out with International feature lower-cost hardware designed for a million miles as the company expands commercial driverless freight operations across the U.S. Sun Belt.
Read More →
Freight Tonnage Down, Rates up, as Lower Capacity Powers Trucking Recovery
The recovery from the freight recession continues to be driven by reduction in capacity rather than by increased demand.
Read More →
Think Your Trucking Fleet Isn't Using Much AI? Think Again
Shadow AI — the use of unauthorized artificial intelligence tools at work — is becoming increasingly common, putting sensitive company data at risk. Learn how trucking fleets can protect sensitive data while embracing AI.
Read More →
ArcBest Consolidates Brands, Cuts Workforce
The company will bring three business units under the ArcBest brand, eliminate about 2% of positions, and expects the changes to generate $40 million in annual savings.
Read More →
Trucking Fleets Faced Record Operating Costs During Third Year of Freight Recession
ATRI's annual operational cost report shows carriers trimmed fleets, delayed equipment purchases, and ran older trucks as expenses continued to outpace freight rates.
Read More →
Michelin Adds AI Assistant to MyConnectedFleet Platform
Michelin’s new generative AI tool delivers instant fleet insights, helping managers analyze fuel use, tire maintenance, vehicle status, and operational performance without manually creating reports.
Read More →
LytxOne Platform Now Features AI, Compliance, and Asset Tracking Tools
New enhancements add AI-powered insights, asset tracking, compliance automation, and configurable privacy controls to Lytx's all-in-one fleet management platform.
Read More →
