NEW YORK, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- U.S. consumer confidence this month climbed to its highest level in four months, an industry group reported Wednesday.
The Conference Board said its index of consumer confidence, which had rebounded in November, improved further in December to 103.6.
Economists had expected the index to climb to about 102.
"Consumer confidence continues to bounce back and is now at its highest level since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast," said Lynn Franco of the Conference Board.
"The resiliency of the economy, recent declines in prices at the pump and job growth have consumers feeling more confident at yearend than they felt at the start of 2005. Even though all of the improvement over the past 12 months has been in consumers' assessment of current conditions, and expectations remain below earlier levels, consumers are confident that the economy will continue to expand in 2006."
The group's index is based on a survey of 5,000 U.S. households.
