New York ? Uncertainty about jobs depressed consumer confidence in September to its lowest level in almost a year.

The Conference Board said Tuesday its Consumer Confidence Index fell for the fourth consecutive month, to 93.3 from a revised 94.5 in August. It was the lowest level since November. Analysts had expected a reading of 92.4.

The industry group’s index, based on a monthly survey of about 5,000 U.S. households, is closely watched because consumer confidence determines consumer spending. And consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of the nation’s economic activity.

“What consumers are telling us is that they feel uncomfortable about safety, politics and a war, not just about economics,” said economist John Silvia.

But Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board’s Consumer Research Center, said consumers surveyed seemed to be preoccupied with jobs, not the threat of war.