Category: Information and Insights

Economic sentiment posted a modest increase over the past two weeks, following a significant spike in late August. The HPS-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index (ESI) inched upwards by 0.5 points to 50.5, driven largely by a boost in confidence in making a major purchase. Click here to view image. The ESI’s five indicators posted somewhat differing… Continue reading Economic Sentiment Continues Rally, Posts Modest Increase

After several months of fluctuations, economic sentiment saw a significant improvement over the past two weeks, climbing back to early March levels when the economy began to shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The HPS-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index (ESI) jumped by 3.4 points to reach 50.0, driven by an even larger increase in confidence… Continue reading Economic Sentiment Closes Out The Summer With Massive Uptick

Economic sentiment trended downward over the past two weeks, reversing course from last reading’s surprising increase. The HPS-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index (ESI) fell modestly, dropping 0.5 points to 46.6. Despite increases in confidence in the job market and the overall economy, economic sentiment fell on the whole, led by a significant decline in confidence in… Continue reading Economic Sentiment Loses Momentum Following Unexpected Rebound

Economic sentiment rebounded over the past two weeks, as the U.S. reported the smallest daily rise in COVID-19 infections in weeks, and hopes for a potential vaccine increased. The HPS-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index (ESI) posted a positive gain for the first time since early June, jumping 3.1 points to 47.1. All five of the ESI’s… Continue reading Economic Sentiment Defies Expectation, Sees First Rebound Since Early June

Economic sentiment continues to drop as U.S. COVID-19 cases keep rising and states reimpose restrictions. The HPS-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index (ESI) declined for the third consecutive reading, dropping 2.2 points to 44.0. The index now stands at its lowest level since mid-April, when the country faced the initial spike in U.S. COVID-19 infections and accompanying… Continue reading Economic Sentiment Steepens Decline, Returning To April Levels

The HPS-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index (ESI) continued last reading’s decline, dropping 1.6 points to 46.2. The four week-long decline follows on the heels of a massive increase of confidence at the beginning of June as the economy began to fully reopen. Since then, there have been large spikes in new cases in states across the… Continue reading Economic Sentiment Continues To Tumble As The Virus Spreads And States Reimpose Restrictions

Following the largest ever reading-to-reading increase in its seven-year history, the HPS-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index (ESI) lost momentum, dropping 1.3 points to 47.8. While the last reading was driven by record-setting surges in confidence toward the job market and the economy, this reading’s drop was driven by significant losses from those very same indicators. Click… Continue reading Economic Sentiment Falters Following Months-Long Rebound

Economic sentiment rocketed up over the past two weeks, ending its month-and-a-half long plateau. The HPS-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index (ESI) increased 4.5 points to 49.1, setting a new record for largest ever reading-to-reading increase in the ESI’s history and reaching its highest level since March 17. The reading was driven by record-setting surges in confidence… Continue reading Americans’ Economic Sentiment Surges At A Record Pace, Reaching Its Highest Level Since March

Economic sentiment continued to plateau over the past two weeks as gains in confidence in personal finances and making a major purchase balanced out record-low sentiment towards the job market and a major decline in confidence towards the overall economy. The HPS-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index (ESI) fell 0.2 points to 44.6, marking the third consecutive… Continue reading Americans’ Economic Sentiment Unchanged Despite Record-Low Confidence In U.S. Job Market

Consumer sentiment leveled out over the past two weeks following April’s uptick of confidence. The HPS-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index (ESI) only rose 0.1 points to 44.8 during a two-week period where states and the federal government began making plans to reopen the economy. The plateau in confidence was driven by drops in three categories, including… Continue reading Economic Sentiment Plateaus As Confidence In The Job Market Falls To All-Time Low