Conference Board News Release (07/31/12)

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had declined in June, improved slightly in July. The index now stands at 65.9 (1985=100), up from 62.7 in June. The Expectations Index improved to 79.1 from 73.4. The Present Situation Index, however, decreased slightly to 46.2 from 46.6 a month ago.

Consumers’ assessment of the labor market was mixed. Those stating jobs are “hard to get” declined to 40.8% from 41.2%, while those claiming jobs are “plentiful” decreased to 7.8% from 8.3%. Those expecting more jobs in the months ahead increased to 17.6% from 14.8%, while those anticipating fewer jobs edged down to 20.3% from 20.8%.