Consumer Confidence Rises in March

New York, NY, March 25, 2014 -- The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index improved in March.

The index now stands at 82.3, up from 78.3 in February.

The Present Situation Index edged down to 80.4 from 81.0, while the Expectations Index increased to 83.5 from 76.5.

"Consumer confidence improved in March, as expectations for the short-term outlook bounced back from February's decline," said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board.

"While consumers were moderately more upbeat about future job prospects and the overall economy, they were less optimistic about income growth. The Present Situation index, which had been on an upward trend for the past four months, was relatively unchanged in March. Overall, consumers expect the economy to continue improving and believe it may even pick up a little steam in the months ahead."