Economic Health Concerns - A series of weak economic data is raising concerns about the health of the U.S. economy, with retail sales growth significantly slowing and consumer confidence dropping to a five-year low [1][3] - September retail sales increased by only 0.2%, falling short of Wall Street expectations and ending a previous acceleration trend [1][2] - The consumer confidence index from the Conference Board fell from 95.5 to 88.7 in November, marking the second-lowest reading in five years [1][3] Consumer Spending and Inflation - Rising prices for housing, groceries, and healthcare are putting pressure on low-income groups, while wealth disparity is increasing as the affluent benefit from a booming stock market [1][4] - Inflation data shows wholesale prices rose by 2.7% over the past year, higher than expected, indicating that tariffs may be affecting consumer prices [2] Labor Market Weakness - The unemployment rate rose to 4.4%, the highest in four years, with wage growth for low-income workers slowing down [1][5] - The labor market's deterioration is contributing to a decline in consumer confidence, with economists warning that this could lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy of reduced economic growth [3][5] Federal Reserve's Dilemma - The Federal Reserve is considering whether to implement its third interest rate cut of the year at the December meeting, complicated by the recent government shutdown that delayed key economic reports [1][5] - The combination of a weakening labor market and rising living costs is testing the Fed's ability to balance economic growth support with inflation control [5]