(NEW YORK) -- A fresh report on consumer sentiment on Friday will show how shoppers digested a cascade of economic developments this month, including President Donald Trump's firing of a top labor statistics official hours after the release of weak jobs data.
The report, which details shopper attitudes in August, is set to arrive days after an inflation reading came in lower than economists had expected, offering a respite for consumers wary of significant tariff-induced price hikes.
The period covered by the report also coincides with the onset of sweeping new tariffs, which significantly expanded the reach of Trump's confrontational trade policy.
Some recent indicators have suggested the onset of an economic slowdown. A report on gross domestic product late last month indicated average annualized growth of 1.2% over the first half of 2025, well below 2.8% growth last year.
The Federal Reserve opted to hold interest rates steady at a meeting in July as the central bank voiced concern about a possible rekindling of inflation as Trump's tariffs take hold.