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WASHINGTON – (AP) – Consumer confidence soared for a second straight month, hitting its highest level since the pandemic began, as the swift introduction of vaccines and another round of U.S. financial assistance to Americans fuel optimism.
The Conference Board reported Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose from 109.0 in March to a better than expected 121.7 in April. This was the strongest reading since the index of 132.6 in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in the United States.
The current situation index is based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions from 110.1 to 139.5. The expectation index, which is based on consumer assessments of conditions over the next six months, rose more modestly, rising from 108.3 last month to 109.8 in April.
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