The Consumer Confidence Index rose in October for the first time in three months with a rating of 113.8 -- up from 109.8 in September, according to the Conference Board.

The Present Situation Index jumped to 147.4 compared to September’s mark of 144.3, while the Expectations Index also increased to 91.3 from 86.7.

Consumers’ perspectives of business conditions were mixed in October as 18.6% felt conditions were “good,” falling from 19.1% in September, whereas 24.9% of consumers thought business conditions were “bad” compared to 25.3% the previous month.

Consumers’ have a somewhat more favorable view of the labor market as 55.6% of consumers felt the job market is “plentiful,” falling from 56.5% the previous month. And 10.6% of consumers say jobs are “hard to get,” down from 13%.

Short-term business expectations saw mixed results as 24.3% believe economic conditions will improve in the next six months, up from 21.7%. However, 21.1% of respondents believe conditions will worsen, up from 17.6%.

The short-term labor market outlook saw modest improvements with 25.4% of consumers expecting more jobs in the coming months, up from 21.3%. Only 18.3% expect fewer jobs, falling from 19.9%.

Consumers feel more optimistic about their short-term financial prospects as 18.7% of consumers expect their incomes to increase, up from 16.9%. Consumers who felt their incomes would decrease was stagnant at 11.3%, compared to 11.4% in September.

“Consumer confidence improved in October, reversing a three-month downward trend as concerns about the spread of the Delta variant eased,” said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board.

“While short-term inflation concerns rose to a 13-year high, the impact on confidence was muted. The proportion of consumers planning to purchase homes, automobiles, and major appliances all increased in October — a sign that consumer spending will continue to support economic growth through the final months of 2021,” Franco added.

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