Figures released today show that consumer sentiment recovered slightly in April, having fallen back in the previous two months. The IIB/ESRI consumer sentiment index recorded 98.8, compared with 92.3 in March.
IIB economist Austin Hughes attributed the pick-up to a number of factors, including the lack of high-profile lay-off announcements which affected the March survey and expectations of a delay in the next ECB interest rate rise.
But he noted that consumer sentiment was still well below the level seen in early 2006, and consumers' mood appeared to be relatively cautious. He said higher loan repayments and energy costs had begun to affect living costs.
A breakdown of the figures showed that consumers were more upbeat about their own financial situation, but their view of the overall economic outlook deteriorated.
