Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTGodwin OluponmileTue, September 22, 2026 at 3:30 PM GMT+2 5 min readgettyimages.com / SOPA ImagesConsumer confidence fell to its second-lowest level on record in September, and Goldman Sachs says the economy is only part of the reason. Americans, the bank told its clients, have grown unhappier with the state of the world in general.In a note to clients reported by CNBC on September 19, Goldman economist Joseph Briggs wrote that "low reported economic sentiment likely reflects a more fundamental, downbeat assessment of the state of the world rather than the economy." "Lower happiness" across the country, he said, helps account for the gap between the grim survey results and data like GDP growth that show the economy expanding.Must ReadJeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being oneDave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake.