Americans Are Feeling Less Confident About the Economy as Prices Stay High

A gauge of how Americans feel about the economy fell to 89.4 in August 2026 — a seven-month low and the fourth monthly drop in a row. Inflation, the rate at which prices rise, slowed to 3.7% in June from May's 4.1% peak tied to war. But that's still far above the 2.5% when Trump took office. Fresh data due August 27 may show if the trend continues.