Economy / Markets
US consumer confidence falls to its weakest reading since 2014
The Conference Board's consumer confidence index fell 6.7 points to 81.9 in September, far below the 89.2 economists expected and the weakest reading in more than twelve years. The present-situation measure dropped 7.9 points to 109.3 and the expectations index fell to 63.6, its third straight monthly decline, while twelve-month inflation expectations rose to 6.1%. Separately, Labor Department data showed job openings falling 256,000 in August to 7.079 million, leaving 1.01 vacancies per unemployed person.