US Business Conditions “Bad”
US Business Conditions “Bad” stood at 20.4% in Sep 2026. It is one of the indicators in the Consumer confidence (Conference Board) table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Dec 2009 to Sep 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Consumer confidence (Conference Board) table
| Indicator | 09-2026 | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present situation assessment (% of respondents) | |||||||||||
| Present Business Conditions: "Bad" | 20.4 | 17.3 | 17.9 | 16.5 | 16.7 | 18.1 | 15.8 | 19 | 17.3 | 17.6 | |
| Current Employment: "Plentiful" | 23.6 | 24.5 | 24.4 | 25.5 | 24.8 | 26.9 | 27.4 | 26.7 | 25.8 | 27.5 |
Understanding US Business Conditions “Bad”
The percentage of respondents viewing current business conditions as "bad" indicates the prevalence of negative sentiment at the time of the survey. It does not represent the share of businesses experiencing downturns, bankruptcies, or reporting losses. Unlike the "good" assessment rate, it measures the opposing direction, but the two series do not necessarily mirror each other entirely due to the presence of a neutral group. Compared to the present situation index, this measure covers only a single question regarding business and omits employment assessments.
An increase typically implies a deterioration in sentiment regarding the business environment, though it requires cross-referencing with the "good" rate to determine whether respondents shifted from positive to negative or merely from neutral to negative. Month-on-month comparisons are suited for spotting new shocks, while year-on-year comparisons help account for seasonal patterns and holiday schedules. Prominent news, living costs, or market volatility can strongly impact perceptions even before actual operations change correspondingly. Priority should be given to multi-month trajectories over minor fluctuations.
Frequently asked questions
- Does a rising share of bad assessments confirm an economic recession?
- No. This is survey sentiment and must be verified by actual activity measures.
- Why can both the good and bad shares decline simultaneously?
- This can happen when many respondents shift to neutral options.
- How does this indicator differ from the overall confidence index?
- It records only the negative responses regarding current business, whereas the headline index combines both current conditions and expectations.