US consumers are getting less optimistic about the future: Americans' perceived probability of finding a position in the next 3 months after a job loss are down to 50%, the lowest level since April 2021. Outside of the pandemic, this is the lowest percentage in 10 years, according to the Fed Survey of Consumer Expectations. This coincides with new job postings on Indeed declining for the past 3 years and reaching near the lowest since 2020. Furthermore, consumers’ perceived chance of missing a minimum debt payment over the next 3 months jumped to 14.2%, the highest since April 2020. Concerningly, the probability of missing a payment for those earning over 100,000 hit the highest in at least 10 years. Why is there such a large disconnect between data and how Americans feel?