Confidence in future finances, house prices and job security improves – index

Households are feeling more confident that the strength of their finances, house prices, and job security will increase in a year’s time, according to an index.The overall consumer confidence index score in January was 102.9, up from 102.6 the previous month, the research from YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) found.Scores above 100 indicate that consumers are more confident than not.The research is based on 6,000 interviews carried out every month about household finances, property prices, job security and business activity, both recently and looking ahead to the next 12 months.While perceptions about recent job security and household finances were down in January, when looking forward to 12 months’ time confidence was up on both of these measures, the index found.Confidence in property values increasing was up when looking at households’ perceptions of what has happened over the past month, as well as what they think will happen in the next 12 months.Perceptions about business activity in the past 30 days and in the next 12 months were more negative in January, however.This measure asks workers if activity increased or decreased at their workplace in the past month and what it is likely to be like in 12 months’ time.