Consumer confidence moved to a 14-month high, according to a Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan index. While economists in a Bloomberg survey projected 84.8 for Sept., the actual number came in at 84.6, a jump from 82.5 in August. According to rvbusiness.com, employment is growing at the strongest pace in 15 years, and lower gasoline prices help sweeten the economy for consumers. “The consumer has hardly looked better this cycle,” said Jacob Oubina, senior U.S. economist at RBC Capital Markets LLC in New York. “Job growth, income growth and a sharp decline in gasoline prices over the last few months will conspire to keep a pretty decent underpinning on consumer confidence.” As MHProNews understands, consumer purchases comprise 70 percent of the economy. ##

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