Americans who answered a new poll are genuinely pleased with the direction their economy is taking.
Figures released Tuesday by the U.S. showed the Consumer Confidence Index rose in June to 118.9, near a 16-year high, despite expectations for it to drop.
The consensus was for economists expecting the index to drop slightly to 116 for June.
Last month, the Board's index dipped to 117.9, down from its April reading
Survey respondents saying business conditions are "good" increased to 30.8% from 29.8% while those saying business conditions are "bad" declined to 12.7% from 13.9%.
Consumer's expectations for the labor market were also positive, with those saying jobs are "plentiful" rising to 32.8% from 30%, and those claiming jobs are "hard to get" dipping slightly to 18%from 18.3%
For the short-term outlook, said the Conference Board, consumers were less optimistic. Those expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months decreased to 20.4% from 21.5%. However, those expecting business conditions to worsen declined marginally to 9.9% from 10.3%
