Employment prospects bolster US consumer confidence in June

US consumer confidence beat forecast in June, according to figures released by The Conference Board on Tuesday.

The index climbed to 101.4 in June from a downwardly revised 94.6 reading in May, exceeding economists´ forecast of 97.5.

"Over the past two months, consumers have grown more confident about the current state of business and employment conditions," said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board.

"In addition, they are now more optimistic about the near-term future, although sentiment regarding income prospects is little changed."

May´s level was originally reported at 95.4., while the biggest contribution to the rise in June came from a sub-index tracking consumers´expectations, which jumped to 94.6 form 86.2.

The proportion of those canvassed who anticipated more jobs becoming available in the months ahead increased from 14.7% to 17.8%.

However, the percentage of those expecting growth in their incomes was virtually unchanged at 17.5%.