The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index Increased 9.7 points to 131.4 in February. The Present Situation Index increased by 3.3 points to 173.5. The Expectations Index, based on consumers short-term outlook for income, had a massive bounce back from a decline in the previous month, increasing 14 points to 103.4.
“Consumer Confidence rebounded in February, following three months of consecutive declines,” said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. “The Present Situation Index improved, as consumers continue to view both business and labor market conditions favorably. Expectations, which had been negatively impacted in recent months by financial market volatility and the government shutdown, recovered in February. Looking ahead, consumers expect the economy to continue expanding. However, according to The Conference Board’s economic forecasts, the pace of expansion is expected to moderate in 2019.”
Consumers’ outlook for the labor market was also more favorable. The proportion expecting more jobs in the months ahead increased from 15.3 percent to 18.5 percent, while those anticipating fewer jobs declined, from 16.2 percent to 12.2 percent. Regarding their short-term income prospects, the percentage of consumers expecting an improvement rose from 17.7 percent to 20.0 percent, but the proportion expecting a decrease also increased, from 6.8 percent to 8.5 percent..
Read the Conference Board release.
