US Consumer Confidence Shows a Modest Increase in September
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had increased in August, improved moderately in September. The index now stands at 103.0 (1985 = 100), up from 101.3 in August. The Present Situation Index increased from 115.8 in August to 121.1 in September, while the September Expectations Index edged down to 91.0 from 91.6 in August.
Consumers’ appraisal of current conditions was more positive in September. Those saying business conditions are “good” increased from 23.”% to 28.0%, while those claiming business conditions are “bad” declined modestly from 17.8% to 16.7%. Consumers were somewhat mixed about the job market. Those stating jobs are “plentiful” increased from 22.1% to 25.1%; however, those claiming jobs are “hard to get” also rose from 21.7% to 24.3%.