US CEO Confidence Falls to 47 in Q2 as 31% Plan Workforce Cuts

1 articles · Updated · Fox Business · Jun 2

The Conference Board’s CEO confidence index dropped to 47 in Q2 from 59 in Q1, putting sentiment back below the 50 threshold where negative views outnumber positive ones.
Among 141 CEOs surveyed, 47% said the economy is worse than six months ago, up from 8% in Q1, and 40% expect conditions to deteriorate further over the next six months.
Workforce plans also weakened: 31% of CEOs expect to reduce headcount over the next six months, exceeding the 28% planning to hire, while wage increases are clustering in the 3% to 4% range.
The darker outlook comes as growth data soften—Q4 GDP was revised to a 0.5% annualized pace—and economists warn Middle East conflict, inflation and tighter financial conditions could further slow 2026 momentum.
CEOs also flagged cyber risk as a top threat for nearly two-thirds of respondents, with geopolitical, AI, supply-chain and energy risks rising alongside the economic slowdown.

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