American consumers are increasingly pessimistic about their job prospects, according to new Conference Board data. The June installment of the board’s Employment Trends Index (ETI), released Monday (July 6) showed that the share of consumers who reported that “jobs are hard to get” climbed to...
Younger Americans are increasingly residing with their parents to offset the high cost of living. That’s according to a report Saturday (July 4) from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) which says that the notion of a twenty-something still living at home has gone from a...
Consumers still have a strong appetite to spend, but many have lost the room in their budgets to act on it. New PYMNTS Intelligence research suggests that while financial pressures continue to shape household decisions, the desire to make purchases remains intact. That distinction offers...
Rising costs are pushing younger consumers to work harder at money management, even as fewer Americans say their coping strategies are actually helping. That is one of the clearest takeaways from “Generations Under Pressure: How Younger Consumers Are Coping With Higher Living Costs,” a new PYMNTS Intelligence...
The shift isn’t worth the drive, and workers are doing the math. “When the Drive Isn’t Worth the Pay: How Fuel Costs Reshape Who Can Afford to Work,” the June edition of the Wage to Wallet Index™, shows how rising fuel costs are changing the...
For many hourly workers, the most useful financial tool may not be a bigger paycheck, but a clearer view of when that paycheck will arrive and how large it will be. That is the practical takeaway from “The Schedule Shock: How Unstable Hours Turn Paychecks...
A collaboration between PYMNTS Intelligence and Visa Acceptance Solutions, the “2026 Global Digital Shopping Index: Merchant Edition” examines how merchants are adapting to a retail environment where shopping is spreading across apps, websites, physical stores and, increasingly, AI-powered agents. The report is based on a March 2026...
Consumer sentiment has ticked up as gas prices eased, according to preliminary results for June from the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers. The report’s Index of Consumer Sentiment improved by about four index points, or 9%, compared to May. Sentiment improved across age, education and political party....
Consumers are not standing still as higher living costs squeeze household budgets. They are cutting spending, delaying purchases, taking on extra work and using payment tools to stretch cash flow, yet fewer now believe those moves are working. That is the central tension in PYMNTS...