In the March reading of consumer confidence by the Conference Board, six-month-ahead consumer expectations moved ahead nearly 10 points. The improvement came from all three components of the index: business conditions, jobs, and income.

The present situation component of the Conference Board survey improved moderately over the month, increasing 1.2 points.

Additional detail:

  • The net percent anticipating better business conditions six months from now improved from a net decline of 2.7 percent to an increase of 1.8 percent.
  • The net percent anticipating more jobs six months from now improved from a net decline of 13 percent to an increase of 8.2 percent.
  • The net percent expecting higher income six months from now improved from a net decline of 3.1 percent to an increase of 0.8 percent.