Survey: Consumer Confidence Holds Steady

According to The Numerator Consumer Sentiment Tracker, consumer confidence held steady in November with small increases in job-market confidence, confidence in their ability to make ends meet, and with nonessential spending.

The November Consumer Confidence Score was 56.2 (+0.2 vs. October), which is an average of how consumers feel about the job market, their household finances, and their spending comfort levels.

Other survey results include:

• 39% of consumers think it's very or somewhat easy to find employment in the current job market.
• 48% of consumers say their household's financial situation is currently good or very good.
• 40% of consumers are very or somewhat comfortable spending money on discretionary purchases right now.
• Consumers with spare cash say they're putting it in savings (37%) and paying down debts (34%) while 12% of consumers say they do not have any spare cash.
• To save money, consumers are shopping for items on sale (42%), using coupons/discount codes (42%), and cooking at home (41%).
• The November Financial Outlook Score was 57.4 (+5.1), indicating that consumers feel positive about their household finances. Thinking about one year from now, 34% think their finances will be better than they are now, 47% think they'll be the same, and 19% think they'll be worse. This month's growth over last was driven by many groups, especially Boomers (+8.3 pts) and White shoppers (+7.8 pts), who have consistently felt the most negative. At the same time, Gen Z (-1 pt) and Black shoppers (-3.8 pts) both saw declines though they remain some of the most optimistic groups overall.