Conference Board News Release (04/28/15)

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had increased in March, declined in April. The index now stands at 95.2, down from 101.4 in March. The Present Situation Index decreased from 109.5 in March to 106.8 in April. The Expectations Index declined from 96.0 last month to 87.5 in April.

“Consumer confidence, which had rebounded in March, gave back all of the gain and more in April,” says Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at the Conference Board. “This month’s retreat was prompted by a softening in current conditions, likely sparked by the recent lackluster performance of the labor market, and apprehension about the short-term outlook.”

Consumers stating jobs are “plentiful” declined from 21.0% to 19.1%, while those claiming jobs are “hard to get” rose from 25.5% to 26.4%.