C-Suite Perspectives
C-Suite Perspectives
The Conference Board
The State of the Economy for August 2025
19 minutes Posted Aug 26, 2025 at 5:27 pm.
0:00
19:45
Download MP3
Show notes

Consumer confidence mostly held steady in August – what's driving people’s current mood and spending habits? 

The latest update from The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® shows a slight dip in August, with the index slipping to 97.4 from July’s 98.7. Both the Present Situation Index and the Expectations Index fell, with expectations remaining below the recession-warning threshold of 80. 

Join Dana Peterson, Center Leader of the Economy, Strategy & Finance Center at The Conference Board, and Stephanie Guichard, Senior Economist, Global Indicators, The Conference Board, as they discuss: 

  • Why tariffs and inflation remain top-of-mind for consumers; 

  • How resumption of interest on student loans is impacting consumer credit and spending habits; and 

  • The resiliency of cash payments and who’s using buy-now-pay-later options. 

More from The Conference Board: