Jakarta –
The closure of the United States (US) federal government, aka government shutdown, has continued since October 1 2025 until now. The impact of the closure of government operations has been felt in various sectors, including citizens’ confidence in Uncle Sam’s economy in the future.
Launch CNNSaturday (8/11/2025), this government shutdown was the longest ever experienced by US citizens in history. This condition caused consumer sentiment to plunge to its lowest point.
According to the latest survey conducted by the University of Michigan, the November 2025 Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 50.3. This figure is much lower than the previous month which was still in the range of 53.6.
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It is said that this figure is the lowest level since June 2022. In general, Uncle Sam’s consumer confidence index is one of the lowest since the survey began in the 1950s.
“With the federal government shutdown now in progress for more than a month, consumers are now expressing concern about the potential negative consequences for the economy,” Joanne Hsu, director of consumer surveys at the University of Michigan, said in a statement.
The report shows that the decline in sentiment occurred broadly across age groups, income and political affiliation. This means that the majority of US citizens feel pessimistic about the national economy in the future.
The only group that is an exception to this decline in sentiment is consumers who are heavily invested in the stock market. Because only in this group there was an increase in sentiment of 11% because the stock market was approaching a record high due to the government shutdown.
“These consumer groups are crucial because they have the greatest influence on aggregate consumer spending data, so continued strength here is important for overall economic resilience,” Thomas Simmons, chief U.S. economist at Jefferies, said in a note.
“However, the middle group is also important, and the decline in their sentiment seems to be intensifying. If this group is unable to maintain their spending pace, the top income growth figures may eventually surpass the above-trend pace,” he added, warning.
(igo/eds)
