California confidence hits 6

Californians’ anxiety about the new administration’s unorthodox policies has dipped, as one measure of optimism hits a six-month high.

My trusty spreadsheet peeked at the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index for August. This polling tracks shoppers’ psyche in eight states, including California, and the nation. The mood of shoppers is critical to the broad economy, as consumer spending is two-thirds of all business activity .

Statewide, confidence has risen 18% since April’s recent low when fears peaked as President Donald Trump unveiled an aggressive trade policy that unraveled years of international economic serenity. Some of the predicted fallout of higher tariffs, such as sharply rising prices of consumer goods , has yet to materialize.

Don’t forget that this is a state