U.S. consumers grew slightly less pessimistic about the economy in early September, but they see economic worries in the future.

Friday’s report from the University of Michigan measures consumer confidence .

Economists study the report for clues about the consumer spending that drives most U.S. economic activity.

While the report shows consumers slightly less pessimistic about the current situation, it says they are gloomy about the future.

The survey found that consumers think inflation will hit about 3.7 percent a year from now, which is slightly higher than the inflation expectations in previous studies.