Post #4864772 · Elektrine

2026-09-19 21:13 UTC

Consumer sentiment is in the dumps despite a solid economy. Goldman Sachs blames ‘lower happiness’ Goldman Sachs identified a potential culprit for sour consumer sentiment readings: A decline in happiness. The consumer sentiment index tracked by the University of Michigan hit record lows this year. The index fell 13% year over year in September, due to a drop of almost 8% from August alone. Economists have widely questioned why sentiment has remained depressed since the Covid pandemic, even as the economy hummed along on paper. Goldman economist Joseph Briggs told clients this week that the downward pressure may stem from broader pessimism in society. “Low reported economic sentiment likely reflects a more fundamental, downbeat assessment of the state of the world rather than the economy,” Briggs wrote to clients. Its not the escalating COLA? It definitely isn’t the coming disel crunch. It’s just a sour mood? You know what helps me when I am in a bad mood? Comfort food. Maybe this Goldman guy should advise that the government let the people eat cake. That sort of advice has always had a good outcome.

Replies (7)

@CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 2026-09-19 21:25

Diesel hit record rates and these guys are claiming it’s about the vibes?

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@MagicShel@lemmy.zip 2026-09-20 06:39

Dateline 1860: Slave Sentiment Low Despite Record Plantation Profits — Economists Baffled

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@fodor@lemmy.zip 2026-09-20 06:49

In other words, the term “the economy” actually means “rich people’s yachts”.

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@Treczoks@lemmy.world 2026-09-20 15:16

The economy is solid, because the people only get paid 40% of their productivity. The rest goes to the rich, and they are “the economy”.

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@boaratio@lemmy.world 2026-09-21 01:12

Solid economy? WTF are they smoking? Shit has never been more expensive.

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@Gates9@sh.itjust.works 2026-09-20 16:04

Soon there will be a critical mass of people who have nothing left to lose

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@stinkytofuisgood@lemmy.ca 2026-09-21 07:35

Guys, I don’t even know what to say anymore. So much of this shit isn’t worthy of being dignified as based in reality. I’m really, really, super fucking really tired of just reading and arguing. I’m tired of years of regression being sold to us as progress that we’re just too simple to understand the realities of. I want class solidarity with my fellow humans who feel the same way. I want to take actions that will actually change things or at least stand a chance or even just get people talking more. Lemmy is fantastic, it’s doing what it set out to achieve, I would say. But I want to start thinking about something more, and I nor any of us can do that alone. Perhaps a group chat? Signal or SimpleX? One person is enough for me to start it. Class solidarity. Power to the people. Representative government. Social safety nets. Corporate reform.

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