National Consumer Confidence - March 2015
National consumer confidence rebounded to the highest level in five years in March 2015, according to the Conference Board of Canada’s index of consumer confidence.
A pickup in sentiment across all regions, especially in Ontario, but with the exception of the Atlantic provinces was the main reason behind the national increase.
Negative sentiment for job growth prospects declined in March in favour of more respondents expecting more or the same number of jobs over the employment outlook. The number of respondents unsure of the employment outlook also remains at historical lows.
Positive sentiment towards making major purchases, such as a home or a car, was up a little in March as negative responses trended downward. A large rebound in Ontario outweighed declines in the Prairie and Atlantic regions. Uncertainty surrounding the timing of major purchases continues to decline. This is an important factor underlying the housing market.
Both positive and negative sentiment about household budgetary expectations was little changed in March 2015 compared to the previous month. Uncertainty regarding this question has fallen to an all-time low, while the number of respondents expecting no budgetary changes is trending at an all-time high.
