Consumer Confidence (Economic Indicator)

In China, Businesses Cut Prices as Consumers Spend Less

Beijing hopes spending can spur growth, which has been dragged down by slowing real estate sales and exports. But shoppers are gravitating to discounts.

U.S. Government Shutdown Is Unlikely to Cause an Immediate Recession

White House and Wall Street estimates suggested the economy could withstand a brief shutdown, with risks mounting the longer it lasts.

How China Made Its Housing Crisis Worse

Years of inattention to building an adequate safety net for seniors, the jobless and others in financial stress have left Chinese consumers afraid to spend.

Will It Be Morning in Joe Biden’s America?

The economic “misery index” has fallen off a cliff.

Is the U.S. Entering a Recession? Here’s Why It’s Hard to Say.

The U.S. may register a second straight quarter of economic contraction, one benchmark of a recession. But that won’t be the last word.