Consumer confidence surged to a nine-month high in October, driven by an uptick in optimism in the condition of the U.S. labor market, and as Americans became far more upbeat about the direction of the economy in the months following the fast-approaching presidential election.
The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index rose to 108.7 this month from a upwardly revised 99.2 in September, with the index notching its biggest monthly gain since March 2021.
Consumers’ assessments of business conditions flipped positive in October, with a greater share of respondents expressing optimism than pessimism compared with September.
Appraisals of families’ current financial situation remained essentially unchanged in October, with a higher share describing it as “good” than “bad,” much like in the past several months….