US consumer confidence falls to 6-month low of 71.2, largely because of government shutdown

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In this Friday, Oct. 4, 2013, photo, a shopper browses at a Timberland store in Skokie, Ill. The Conference Board releases the Consumer Confidence Index for October on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

WASHINGTON – Americans’ confidence in the economy fell this month to the lowest level since April, as many worried about the impact of a 16-day partial government shutdown. The decline could weigh on spending and economic growth.

The Conference Board says that its index of consumer confidence dropped to 71.2 in October, down from 80.2 the previous month. September’s figure was revised slightly higher.

Consumers’ confidence is closely watched because their spending accounts for 70 per cent of economic activity.

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