The global growth slowdown is taking place against a backdrop of rising economic inequality, owing to labor’s declining share of national income – a worldwide phenomenon, resulting from globalization and technological progress, that poses a serious challenge to policymakers. A pair of recent economic reports seems to present contradictory assessments of consumer attitudes about the economy. However, taken together, perhaps they just emphasize the financial doubt and confusion that is so easy to understand at this time of political brinksmanship.