Another thing that’s highly unusual about today’s consumer optimism, besides its overall level: For at least fleeting moments, older people have been more optimistic than the young. In February, consumers older than 55 exhibited more optimism than did those younger than 35. You can see it turn negative in February 2018 (meaning younger people are less optimistic than older ones):Source: University of Michigan, Survey of Consumers. This appears to be driven partly by a decline in consumer sentiment among the young, and partly by a rise in consumer sentiment among older people. It showed that in March, consumers older than 55 exhibited more confidence in the economy than did those younger than 35.

Source: Washington Post April 23, 2018 14:26 UTC