U.S. consumer confidence eased to a six-month low in October amid worries about the availability of jobs in the near-term, offering more ammunition for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates again on Wednesday.

The Conference Board survey on Tuesday also confirmed what economists describe as a K-shaped economy, with confidence declining among consumers making an annual income of less than US$75,000, but consumers earning more than US$200,000 a year more upbeat. Economists argue that high-income households are keeping the economy afloat through robust consumer spending.

Lower-income households are struggling to make ends meet amid higher prices, including from President Donald Trump’s broad tariffs on imports, economists say. The Conference Board said references to prices and inflati

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