Sentiment improved a bit after the shutdown ended Nov. 12, reaching a level of 51 \u2014 lower than October\u2019s 53.6 and down 29% from one year ago.<\/p>\n
Read more: What is consumer confidence, and why does it matter?<\/a><\/p>\n Still, that didn\u2019t totally quiet consumers\u2019 anxiety. For one, the government\u2019s funding agreement only lasts until the end of January. In the meantime, Americans are facing the prospect of spiking health insurance premiums<\/a>, an unemployment rate that\u2019s above where it was a year ago<\/a>, and stubborn inflation.<\/a><\/p>\n What\u2019s more, 69% of consumers now expect unemployment to rise in the year ahead, more than double the rate from this time last year. The perceived probability of losing one\u2019s job is also worse this month and at its highest level since 2020, according to Joanne Hsu, the director of the survey of consumers.<\/p>\n Young people are feeling especially dire. For Americans aged 18 to 34, expectations for losing one\u2019s job in the next five years hit the highest level since 2012.<\/p>\n This month, consumers\u2019 view of the current state of their personal finances also slid by about 15%, even as their view for year-ahead inflation eased slightly to 4.5% from 4.6% in October, Hsu said.<\/p>\n “Cost-of-living concerns and income worries dominate consumer views of the economy across the country,” Hsu said.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, consumers with large stock holdings who had seen an increase in sentiment earlier in November have since erased those gains amid market declines, Hsu said.<\/p>\n Emma Ockerman<\/a> is a reporter covering the economy and labor for Yahoo Finance. You can reach her at emma.ockerman@yahooinc.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sign up for the Mind Your Money newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n Consumers, especially younger ones, perceive rising risks of job loss. \u00b7 University of Michigan <\/p>\n