The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index, which had improved moderately in May, increased further in June. The index now stands at 101.4 (1985=100), up from 94.6 in May. The Present Situation Index increased from 107.1 last month to 111.6 in June, while the Expectations Index advanced to 94.6 from 86.2 in May.
Consumers’ assessment of current conditions improved again in June. Those saying business conditions are “good” increased from 24.7% to 26.4%, while those claiming business conditions are “bad” was virtually unchanged at 17.8%. Consumers were also more positive about the job market. Those stating jobs are “plentiful” increased from 20.6% to 21.4%, while those claiming jobs are “hard to get” declined from 27.2% to 25.7%.