Consumer confidence up slightly in September

The ESRI and IIB Bank have reported a slight increase in consumer confidence last month following a sharp fall earlier in the year.

The consumer sentiment index produced by the two organisations was down significantly in the months between May and August.

However, it rose by two percentage points in September, probably due to steady interest rates during the month.

The ESRI and IIB Bank are warning, however, that while consumers are slightly more optimistic about their own household finances, they are still very nervous about the overall economic climate.