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So look, maybe we should start calling it

the lack of consumer confidence index?

From American public media,

this is Marketplace.

In Los Angeles, I'm Kyle Rizdahl. It is Tuesday, today, the 25th of March. Good as always,

to have you along, everybody. I'm going to start

today with a couple of data points. I'm just going to list them and then have Mitchell Hartman take

over. From the conference board this morning, these indicators, the March consumer confidence

index down. Again, for the fourth straight month, and oh, by by the way farther down than people had been

guessing their expectation index fell even more sharply down to its lowest level in 12 years

now sitting well below the threshold that signals a recession is on the way inflation

expectations were up expectations for future employment and income

were down, confidence in people's future personal finances was down as well. But here's the

all-important follow-up. What is that cratering consumer sentiment going to mean for consumer

spending? Here's Mitchell.

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