HELSINKI: Consumers’ confidence in the economy remained unchanged in April, according to Statistics Finland. The consumer confidence indicator stood at 11.4 in April, having been 11.2 in March and 10.6 in February.
Of the four components of the consumer confidence indicator, expectations on own and Finland’s economy and of unemployment improved slightly in April compared with March. By contrast, assessments concerning household’s saving possibilities weakened but remained, nevertheless, bright, the data show.
Consumers’ expectations on their own economy have improved evenly since October 2014. In April, the expectations were at their highest since May 2011. Last year in April, the consumer confidence indicator received the value 3.7. The long-term average for the confidence indicator is 11.8 as per the statistics based on the consumer survey for which 1,310 people resident in Finland were interviewed between 1 and 17 April.
In April, consumers regarded the time more favorable for raising a loan than for buying durable goods or, in particular, saving. The employed consumers felt personally somewhat less threatened by unemployment than in March. Twelve months earlier the corresponding proportions were 22 and 15 per cent. Altogether, 42 per cent of consumers thought in April that unemployment would increase over the year, and 20 per cent of them believed it would decrease.
