On April 11, according to Jin Shi, consumer confidence in the United States deteriorated sharply in April, and 12-month inflation expectations soared to the highest level since 1981, as trade tensions escalated disturbingly. On Friday, the University of Michigan's consumer confidence index fell to 50.8 from a final value of 57.0 in March, and economists predict it will fall to 54.5. "The decline is widespread and consistent across ages, income, education, geographical areas and political affiliations," said Joanne Hsu, director of the Center for Consumer Surveys. "Consumers have reported multiple warning signs that increase the risk of a recession: Expectations for business conditions, personal finances, income, inflation and the labor market have all continued to deteriorate this month."