NEW YORK, April 26 (UPI) -- U.S. consumer confidence improved in April after dropping in March, the Conference Board said Tuesday.
The monthly Consumer Confidence Index, which uses 1985 as a base year with an assigned value of 100, fell from 72 in February to 63.4 in March but regained what it lost in April, climbing to 63.8.
The Expectations Index, measuring consumer confidence in the economy six months down the road, also rose, climbing from 81.3 a month ago to 82.6.
In April, the monthly survey of 5,000 households found the number of respondents indicating economic conditions were "good" fell "slightly" the report said, dropping to 14.8 percent from 15 percent. The number of respondents indicating conditions were "bad" also fell, shifting to 36.4 percent from 36.6 percent.
Consumers were more optimistic in April about the labor market than they were a month ago. The percentage of respondents indicating jobs were "plentiful" rose from 4.6 percent to 5.2 percent, while the number indicating jobs were "hard to get" fell from 44.4 percent to 41.8 percent.
Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board Consumer Research Center, called the gain in April "modest."
"Consumers' short-term outlook improved slightly," she said in a statement.
Data showed concern about inflation "is easing," she said. "Although confidence remains weak, consumers' assessment of current conditions gained ground for the seventh straight month," she added, "a sign that the economic recovery continues."
