Turmoil in financial markets and worries about the Chinese economy have hit consumer confidence hard. The Westpac/Melbourne Institute index showed consumer sentiment fell by 5.6 per cent in September to 93.9 points, pushing well below 100 points, indicating there are more pessimists about the economy than optimists. Westpac chief economist Bill Evans said the solid fall was unsurprising considering the recent spate of weak economic news and heavy falls on financial markets. "This heightened concern around the world economy unnerved respondents about the labour market," he said.