U.S. Consumers Brighten on Economy as Personal Finance Optimism Lags

The PYMNTS Consumer Expectations Index gauges whether U.S. households have the confidence and financial capacity to spend, combining personal financial resilience, the macroeconomic and buying climate, and labor-market security. Scores run from zero to 100, with 50 neutral. The gap between confidence in the broader economy and optimism about household finances matters because spending, borrowing and saving decisions tend to follow consumers’ personal circumstances more closely than national sentiment.

PYMNTS Intelligence surveyed 2,396 U.S. adults in the first half of July 2026. The overall index rose 2.0 points from June to 55.6, while the Macroeconomic and Buying Climate subindex jumped 4.1 points to 48.6. Consumers’ three-year outlook for the national economy also gained 4.1 points, compared with a 0.8-point increase for household finances. Confidence in keeping one’s job over the next year fell 5.0 points to 79.0, underscoring the uneven recovery in sentiment.