NEW YORK (AP) — Signs of improvement in the job market helped
lift a measure of consumers’ confidence in the economy in October,
a private research group reported Tuesday.
After posting a decline in September, the Conference Board’s
Consumer Confidence Index rose to 81.1 in October, up from a
revised 77.0 in September.
Lynn Franco, director of the board’s consumer research center,
said that a brightening job outlook was a “major factor” in the
rebound, as was growing hope that employment trends would continue
to improve.
“With the holiday season around the corner, this improvement in
consumers’ spirits is a good omen for upcoming retail sales,”
Franco said.