Is the Economy 'Poking' Us? Consumer Confidence Plummets to Five-Year Low!

Feeling the 'Like' for the Economy is Gone

Alright folks let's talk about this consumer confidence thing. The latest numbers are out and let's just say it's not exactly a 'like' situation. The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index dropped to 86 lower than expected and the worst it's been in almost five years. It's like when someone un friends you on Facebook – you know something's up but you're not sure what.

Six Months of Doom and Gloom?

But wait there's more! The expectations index which looks at the next six months is even scarier. It plummeted to 54.4 the lowest since October 2011. Apparently people are feeling 'pervasive pessimism' about the future. It's like when I announced the Metaverse – some people just didn't get it and that was... well you know. Experts are even throwing around the 'R' word – recession. Not exactly the kind of 'status update' we want to see.

Job Market Blues: 'Hard to Get' Just Got Harder

And the job market? Not looking great either. The number of people expecting employment to fall is almost as high as during the Great Recession. Seriously? I thought we were all about 'connecting the world,' not disconnecting people from their jobs. And more people are finding jobs 'hard to get.' Guess it's time to dust off those resumes... or maybe just learn to code?

Stock Market? More Like 'Stonk' Market... Going Down!

Even the stock market is getting the cold shoulder. Almost half of respondents expect lower prices in the next year. Yikes! Maybe it's time to buy the dip? Or maybe invest in some VR real estate? At least you can't lose that... right?

Tariffs: The Ultimate Buzzkill

So what's causing all this doom and gloom? Tariffs apparently. They're at an all time high for the survey. It's like someone decided to 'poke' the economy one too many times. And recession expectations are soaring. It's enough to make you want to log off and go live in a cabin in the woods. But then how would I stay connected?

JOLTS Shocks: Job Openings Take a Dive

Adding insult to injury the latest JOLTS report shows job openings are down. Even government jobs are disappearing! It's like the world is conspiring to make us all feel bad. But hey at least layoffs are down right? Small victories people small victories. Maybe it's time to 'move fast and fix things' before this whole situation gets even more awkward.