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U.S. consumer confidence continued its sharp 2025 decline as Americans’ views about their financial futures slumped to a 12-year low, driven by rising anxiety over tariffs and inflation.

Americans are feeling less confident financially as summer comes to a close and high prices and interest rates weigh on their willingness to spend.

Consumer confidence fell in May as Americans became more pessimistic about the labor market, on top of elevated anxiety over inflation.

WASHINGTON — Consumer confidence inched up in March after two straight monthly declines, even as persistent inflation and anxiety over a possible recession weighed on American households.

U.S. applications for jobless aid fell again last week to their lowest level since April, further evidence that the job market has withstood aggressive rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits in the U.S. reached a four-month low for the week of Jan. 8-14.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he won’t sell any more shares in Tesla for 18 months or more, likely an attempt to comfort shareholders of the electric vehicle company who have watched the stock lose nearly half of its value since Musk’s purchase of Twitter went through in October.

The U.S. job market remains healthy as fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, despite the Federal Reserve’s rapid interest rate hikes this year intended to bring down inflation and tighten the labor market.

WASHINGTON — U.S. construction spending rose 0.5% in September, boosted by government and private residential projects.

WASHINGTON — Orders to U.S. factories for large manufactured goods rose for the second straight month, but the strength again came from a big increase in the volatile aircraft category.