Washington (dpa) – US consumer confidence rose in December to levels not seen since the spring on the back of improvements in the United States' job market and a more optimistic outlook. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index rose to 64.5 in December, up from 55.2 last month, according to figures published Tuesday. “Looking ahead, consumers are more optimistic that business conditions, employment prospects and their financial situations will continue to get better,” said Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board Consumer Research Center. Still, it is too soon to gauge whether the numbers point to a rebound or a sustainable shift in attitudes, although consumers are “ending the year in a somewhat more upbeat mood,” Franco said. Consumers who rated business conditions as “good” increased in December to 16.6 percent, from 13.9 percent the previous month, while those stating conditions are “bad” declined to 33.9 percent, from 38 percent, the Conference Board found. Consumers' assessment of the job market also improved. Those claiming jobs are more “plentiful” increased to 6.7 percent from 5.6 percent, while those who said jobs are “hard to get” declined to 41.8 percent from 43 percent. US consumers' outlook for job prospects was also slightly more positive than previously. Those anticipating more jobs in the coming months rose to 13.3 percent from 12.4 per cent, while those anticipating fewer jobs slipped to 20.2 percent from 23.8 percent. The US jobless rate dropped sharply to 8.6 percent in November – its lowest level in more than two years – from 9 percent the previous month. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/9D9RI Tags: Confidence, Consumers, Jobs, United States Section: Business, North America
