The confidence of US consumers improved slightly in August after falling for two straight months, a private research group said Tuesday, according to dpa. The New York-based Conference Board's index of consumer confidence rose to 53.5 up from a revised 51.0 in July as consumers' view of the short-term economic outlook rose. "Expectations about future business and labour market conditions have brightened somewhat, but overall, consumers remain apprehensive about the future," said Lynn Franco, director of the group's consumer research centre. "All in all, consumers are about as confident today as they were a year ago." -- SPA
