A confusing economy means a less confident consumer

Marketplace

News, Business

4.6 • 8.6K Ratings

🗓️ 30 June 2026

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Fresh data on consumer confidence shows a lot of mixed signals — Americans are feeling better about the economy and where inflation is headed, but worse about job prospects and family finances. Also in this episode, we look at the widening gender wage gap, a small business owner dealing with tariffs, how remote work is giving families more options, and growing natural gas infrastructure.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	on all of it with me alison stewart will talk about art music theater literature history food
0:09.8	well all of it hear in-depth insightful interviews with authors like zadie smith musicians like
0:17.1	steve earle actors like Kate Winslet and beyond.
0:25.6	You never know who you'll hear next on all of it, but it's always worth listening.
0:28.9	That's all of it, available wherever you get your podcasts.
0:37.3	Today's show focuses on some of the most important elements that make the economy go round. Jobs, wages, and you, the
0:40.5	American consumer. From American Public Media, this is Marketplace. In New York, I'm Kristen Schwab, in for Kyrisdal. It's Tuesday, June 30th, and it's good to be here with you.
0:59.5	I want to start by taking a second to check in with you. Yeah, I'm talking to you. How's it going? What do you think about the economy right now? What do you think about your personal economy?
1:12.9	I ask because today we got a fresh read on how Americans are feeling.
1:17.7	The conference board's June Consumer Confidence survey is out.
1:21.5	Overall, people are feeling a bit better about the economy this month compared to last.
1:26.4	But look closer and things get confusing. People are less hopeful about the economy this month compared to last. But look closer and things get confusing.
1:29.7	People are less hopeful about the job market, but more optimistic about inflation, but also
1:35.2	less sunny about their family finances. Lots of mixed signals. Marketplaces Kaylee Wells explains.
1:42.7	Consumers are sending mixed signals because they're getting mixed signals from the economy.
1:47.6	Since human nature puts more weight on the short term, let's start with that.
1:51.3	The declining gasoline prices is helping consumers.
1:55.2	Michael Green is chief strategist at Simplify Asset Management. He says it's not surprising that the ceasefire in the Middle East is easing consumers' minds.
2:04.2	He says the promise of a peace deal.
2:06.0	Is at least raising prospects that gasoline prices and other costs will be lower, that inflation will be modestly better.
2:14.3	Which also made consumers more confident about where the economy is headed in the short term.
2:19.6	But Green says overall confidence is still lower than analysts would expect, given the pretty
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