**[U.S. Consumer Confidence Drops to Lowest Level of the Year as Gas Prices and Living Costs Continue to Pressure]** BlockBeats News, August 25 – U.S. consumer confidence in August declined to its lowest level since the beginning of the year, as consumers' outlook on the business environment and labor market worsened. Data released by the Conference Board on Tuesday showed that the Consumer Confidence Index fell by 0.8 points to 89.4, with the previous month's data revised downward. Economists had a median forecast of 90.2. The report indicated that high gasoline prices, overall rising living costs, and a slowdown in hiring continued to weigh on American households this month. The survey was conducted from August 3 to August 16. During this period, as U.S.-Iran tensions escalated, pushing up oil prices, the average price of gasoline at U.S. gas stations hovered above $4 per gallon. The Conference Board's survey showed that consumers' perceptions of the current labor market improved in August. The proportion of consumers who believe job opportunities are "plentiful" increased, while the proportion who think jobs are "hard to get" decreased. The gap between these two figures matched the largest difference recorded so far this year. However, respondents were more pessimistic about employment and income prospects over the next six months. *(Jin10)*