Whether it’s the ongoing economic expansion, a new president — or both — California consumers seem relatively bullish about their financial outlook.
The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index for California rose for the fifth time in sixth months in April. Since Donald Trump’s surprise White House win, this index — for a state he lost badly — is up 29 percent.
For April, Californians told Conference Board pollsters that present economic conditions slipped a bit. Statewide job growth has slowed after five years of significant improvement. Still, the current climate measure is up 33 percent in six months. And Californians’ expectations for the economy rose in April, part of a 25 percent jump since the election.
The statewide glow is a tad stronger than national consumer confidence. That index was down in April. Yet it’s only the second dip since the election. In six months, U.S. optimism is up 19 percent by this math — roughly one-third less than California.
View Article