After months of economic anxiety fueled by aggressive trade policies, Americans are starting to feel more optimistic. Consumer confidence rebounded sharply in May, following a string of five consecutive monthly declines that had pushed sentiment to its lowest point since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to data released Tuesday by The Conference Board, the consumer confidence index jumped 12.3 points to 98 in May, up from 85.7 in April. That earlier reading marked the lowest since May 2020, when the pandemic’s economic impact was just beginning to unfold.

The turnaround coincides with a series of tariff pauses and negotiated pullbacks by President Donald Trump, whose unpredictable trade maneuvers—particularly the imposition of sweeping import taxes—have cast a long shadow over the economy and job market in recent months. These latest moves appear to have eased some of the uncertainty clouding the economic outlook.

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