Consumer confidence fell in September, according to The Conference Board's consumer confidence index released today. The index fell to a level of 53.1 in September (1985=100) from 54.5 in August.

"While not as pessimistic as earlier this year, consumers remain quite apprehensive about the short-term outlook and their incomes," said Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center. "With the holiday season quickly approaching, this is not very encouraging news."

Consumers claiming business conditions are "bad" rose to 46.3% in September from 44.6% in August. Those claiming jobs are "hard to get" increased to 47.0% from 44.3%.

The index's survey includes 5,000 U.S. households.