Major US Executives Brace for Economic Decline in Late 2026
New York, Friday, 29 May 2026.
US executive confidence dropped sharply in May 2026. Strikingly, while 47% report worsening economic conditions, most companies are still maintaining capital investments and avoiding major layoffs.
A Drastic Shift in Executive Sentiment
The sharp deterioration in corporate optimism is anchored in a steep quantitative decline. According to a mid-May 2026 survey of 141 chief executives conducted by The Conference Board and The Business Council, the Measure of CEO Confidence plummeted to 47 in the second quarter [2][3][4]. This represents a 12 point drop from the first quarter’s score of 59 [3][4]. Because any reading below 50 indicates a negative outlook, this shift officially pushes executive sentiment into pessimistic territory [1][2][4]. The internal metrics of the survey are even more striking: 47% of the respondents reported that general economic conditions had worsened over the past six months, which is a 487.5 percent increase in negative sentiment compared to the 8% who felt this way in the first quarter [1][2][3]. Looking ahead to November 2026, 40% of business leaders expect the broader economic environment to deteriorate further, up from 13% at the start of the year [1][3][4].