Economic Sentiment Drops Sharply To Start 2025

by | Jan 15, 2025

Wall street road sign in New York City

Image Credit: Sophie Backes via Unsplash

Following a slight rise heading into the new year, the latest biweekly reading of the Penta-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index (ESI) decreased by 1.9 points to 39.2, the largest decline in over a year. This comes after a modest rise in the previous reading, where economic sentiment increased 0.3 points during the two-week period ending on New Year’s Eve.

Four of the ESI’s five indicators decreased during this two-week period, offsetting all gains observed in the previous period. This period, confidence in making a major purchase decreased the most, falling 3.3 points to 26.8.

—Confidence in personal finances decreased 3.2 points during this biweekly period to 59.0.
—Confidence in buying a new home decreased 1.9 points during this biweekly period to 23.7.
—Confidence in finding a new job decreased 1.9 points during this biweekly period to 40.3.
—Confidence in the overall U.S. economy increased 1.1 points during this biweekly period to 46.4.

View the full reading here. Learn more about the CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index here.


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