Conference Board News Release (12/29/15)

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had decreased moderately in November, improved in December. The index now stands at 96.5, up from 92.6 in November. The Present Situation Index increased from 110.9 in November to 115.3 in December, while the Expectations Index improved from 80.4 in November to 83.9 in December.

“Consumer confidence improved in December, following a moderate decrease in November,” says Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at the Conference Board. “As 2015 draws to a close, consumers’ assessment of the current state of the economy remains positive, particularly their assessment of the job market. Looking ahead to 2016, consumers are expecting little change in both business conditions and the labor market.”

The proportion of consumers claiming jobs are “plentiful” increased from 21.0% to 24.1%, while those claiming jobs are “hard to get” decreased from 25.8% to 24.7%.