The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index edged down again in May following a decrease in April. The index fell to a reading of 117.9 (1985=100), down from 119.4 in April.

“Consumer confidence decreased slightly in May, following a moderate decline in April,” said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board. “However, consumers’ assessment of present-day conditions held steady, suggesting little change in overall economic conditions. Looking ahead, consumers were somewhat less upbeat than in April, but overall remain optimistic that the economy will continue expanding into the summer months.”

Consumers’ assessment of the labor market remained positive although their outlook was mixed. The proportion expecting more jobs in the months ahead decreased to 18.6% in May from 21.9% in April. However, those anticipating fewer jobs also declined to 12.0% from 13.8%. The number of consumers stating that jobs were “plentiful” edged down to 29.9% in May from 30.3% in April while those claiming jobs are “hard to get” decreased to 18.2% from 19.4%.

The percentage of consumers expecting their incomes to increase edged up to 19.2% from 18.7% while the proportion expecting a decrease also rose, to 8.7% from 7.6%.