Consumer Confidence Falls to Seven-Month Low

Consumer confidence took another header, falling to a seven-month low in June thanks to ongoing concerns over jobs, "stagnating wages" and higher gas and food prices.

The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index slipped to 58.5 in June, down from a 61.7 mark in May.

"Given the combination of uneasiness about the economic outlook and future earnings, consumers are likely to continue weighing their spending decisions quite carefully," said Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board Consumer Research Center.

The Conference Board index was stuck in the 50s and 60s last year, but jumped to 72 this past February. Since then it has been in a free fall again, reaching its lowest point since December 2010 when the index hit 57.8. Two years ago the CB index read 49.3.

GRI recently conducted programs in Sri Lanka to empower women and motivate children under its Green x Circle initiative. The company said these endeavors aimed to address the needs of the community, focusing on both women empowerment and youth motivation.

GRI recently organized a training program titled "Management of household finance under current economic conditions" at the Ingiriya Rubber Collecting Center in Sri Lanka, South Asia led by Shashika Nimali, an NLP practitioner and life coach. The company said this initiative provided women in the industry with essential skills and knowledge to effectively manage household finances. GRI's tailored training sessions equipped participants with tools for informed decision-making, ultimately fostering greater financial security and independence, the company said.