Joe Rowsick ate his lunch in front of the television yesterday in the PPG food court Downtown, watching John McCain's housing speech on CNN as new economic data scrolled along the screen.

"I don't think I've ever felt this pessimistic" about the economy, said Mr. Rowsick, citing the subprime mortgage crisis, the weak dollar and high fuel prices. "So many of the factors are hitting at the same time."

It's gloom and doom among American consumers these days with the Consumer Confidence Index dropping more than 15 percent from February to March -- its lowest level in the past five years.

The expectations index, also released yesterday, dropped to its lowest levels since the Arab oil embargo and Watergate scandal in December 1973.

The numbers are "not surprising," said Robert Dye, senior economist with PNC Financial Services Group. "Consumers tend to react to the headline news and they also react to gas prices, both of which have been sending negative signals."

The Consumer Confidence Index, released monthly by The Conference Board, fell to 64.5 in March from 76.4 in February. It was at 108.2 a year ago, and has been declining since July.

The expectations index, which measures consumer's optimism about the next six months, fell to 47.9 in March from 58.0 in February.

Mr. Rowsick, who works with computer applications at Highmark, said that he's never been that worried by economic news in the past.

But now, he sees that filling the gas tank in his Jeep Wrangler costs nearly double what it did when he bought it in 2005, that his retirement savings are going in the wrong direction and that a family member is close to foreclosure.

He'd like to downsize to a smaller vehicle, but is wary of making a big purchase now.

Millicent Smith, a legal secretary who lives Downtown, also is scaling back her purchases. Given what she's heard about the health of the national economy, she's decided not to take any vacations until she clears up debt.

"When the bank failed last week, that was kind of scary," she said, referring to the federal bailout of the Bear Stearns investment bank. "I don't know anyone that's lost their home or their job, but with the price of gas I know that people are doing less than before."

Kim Shepard, of Penn Hills, is now clipping coupons for the grocery store because prices on dairy products, eggs and fruit have become "outrageous." Her husband, who works as a mechanic, has seen business slow down because people are only bringing their cars in for repairs covered by warranty, she said.

Collectively, those kinds of behavioral changes are important, said Mr. Dye of PNC, because consumer spending comprises more than two-thirds of the gross domestic product. "If consumers curtail or restrict their spending, that almost guarantees a recession," he said.

He expects a mild recession to hit in the first half of this year, he said, but he doesn't expect Pittsburgh to be hit as hard as other cities because it is shielded from swings in the housing market and from the automotive industry.

Tom Lusk, an operational consultant, has adjusted his retirement accounts away from the domestic stock market but is otherwise unmoved by the recent economic news. He just bought a house in North Fayette, and feels that he got a good deal because of the soft housing market.

Much of the consumer concern about the economy is media hype, he said, particularly local doomsday predictions. "I don't think it's hit Pittsburgh yet. I think we're always six months behind and six months late to recover."

Eileen Dusch, an administrative support specialist, also tries not to let daily economic news affect her behavior.

"You can't get depressed," she said. "What can you do about it? It's in the toilet right now, but it will come back. It always does."