Consumer Confidence Up

Home Textiles Today Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 9/24/2010 4:56:18 AM

NEW YORK - With consumers feeling a little better about the improving health of the economy, the Consumer Confidence Index rose to 53.3 in August, up from 51.0 in July.
     Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center, noted that while consumers' view of the short-term outlook has brightened, "employment concerns continue to weigh heavily."
     She added: "All in all, consumers are about as confident today as they were a year ago."
     Consumers saying jobs are hard to get rose to 45.7% of the 5,000 people surveyed from 45.1% a month earlier. Those who feel jobs are plentiful fell to 3.8% from 4.4%.
     Those expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months increased to 17.0%, while those anticipating things will worsen declined to 13.4% from 15.3%.