+2.6 on previous index reading
The Consumer Pulse stood at 69.8 in March 2021, up 2.6 on last month but 8.8 lower than a year ago. With the vaccine rollout progressing and set to quicken during the second quarter and schools starting to return, households were more upbeat this month. The improvement in sentiment was centred on the economy and jobs; notably the balance of positive and negative responses to the question on how the general economic situation is expected to develop over the coming year moved into the black for the first time since February 2020.
