CONSUMER SENTIMENT TRACKER
Keep tabs on consumer confidence.
The Numerator Consumer Sentiment Tracker provides a monthly view of consumer confidence, spending & saving considerations, and future financial outlook. The tracker is powered by a continuous survey to our consumer panel, capturing over 6,000 responses each month.
Latest Update: 1/6/2025
Consumer Confidence Score
Consumer confidence got an end-of-year boost in December, with increases across all tracked metrics. Job market confidence saw a marginal improvement, while household finances and comfort with discretionary spending both saw more significant increases.
- Job Market Score: 36% of consumers think it’s very or somewhat difficult to find employment in the current job market, up from 28% last year.
- Household Finances Score: 48% of consumers say their household’s financial situation is currently good or very good, down from 51% last year.
- Spending Comfort Score: 41% of consumers are very or somewhat comfortable spending money on discretionary purchases right now, down from 43% last year.
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE SCORE
54.9
+1 vs. Last Month
- Consumer Confidence Score: Average of the other three scores
- Job Market Score: Weighted average of responses to the question, “How easy or difficult do you believe it is to find employment in the current job market?” Respondents could answer along a five-point scale from “Very easy” to “Very difficult.”
- Household Finances Score: Weighted average of responses to the question, “How would you describe your household’s financial situation (ability to make ends meet)?” Respondents could answer along a five-point scale from “Very good” to “Very poor.”
- Spending Comfort Score: Weighted average of responses to the question, “How comfortable are you with spending money on discretionary purchases/non-essential items right now?” Respondents could answer along a five-point scale from “Very comfortable” to “Very uncomfortable.”
Spending & Saving Considerations
Over a third of consumers saved their spare cash in December or used it to pay down debts. The next most popular options were vacation/travel, home repair/improvement, and investing. Consumers continue looking for ways to save, as well—shopping on sale, using coupons/discount codes when possible, and cooking at home.
Financial Outlook Score
Financial outlook continued to rebound in December after a sharp decrease in October, with shoppers feeling neutral about their future finances. More shoppers believe their finances will be better a year from now (27%) than those who think they’ll be worse (23%)—a reversal from the prior two months.
FINANCIAL OUTLOOK SCORE
52.2
+3.1 vs. Last Month
- Financial Outlook Score: Weighted average of responses to the question, “Thinking of the next 12 months, how do you expect your household’s finances will compare to now?” Respondents could answer either “Better,” “Same,” or “Worse.”
About the tracker
Numerator’s Consumer Sentiment Tracker combines data from three ongoing Microsurveys—brief surveys (three questions or less) fielded on a rolling basis to our entire consumer panel. The surveys collect over 6,000 responses per month, and their abbreviated nature ensures high participation rates and fresh, reliable data each month.