How is the consumer confidence index determined?
The consumer confidence index is compiled by The Conference Board, a nonprofit agency founded in 1916. They started measuring consumer confidence in 1967. Other agencies such as the University of Michigan Survey Research Center also publish their own consumer confidence results. Consumer confidence comes from a monthly survey given to a panel of 5,000 households selected from a pool of about 120,000. The survey is collected during the first 18 days of the month and then compiled and released to the public on the last Tuesday of that month. The survey consists of five questions that help determine how confident the average consumer is on the U.S. economy. The questions focus on: • How business conditions are in the household’s area • An estimation of how business conditions will be in the next six months • The amount and quality of jobs currently available in the area • An estimation of the amount and quality of job that will be available in the next six months • An estimation of the fa
