NEW YORK — Buoyed by an improved jobs market, consumer confidence logged a gain for April, soaring to 109.6 from 107.5 in March.
But rising gas prices may weaken consumer confidence, said the research director of the Conference Board, which releases the Consumer Confidence Index. Still, the index is now at the highest level in nearly four years. The board said the index was bolstered by a strong gain in the Present Situation component of the index, which climbed to 136.2 in April from 133.3 in March.
“Improving present-day conditions continue to boost consumers’ spirits,” said Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center, in a statement. “Recent improvements in the labor market have been a major driver behind the rise in confidence in early 2006.”
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