Ontario Consumer Confidence
According to the Conference Board of Canada, consumer confidence in Ontario edged lower in April 2019.
A near-record percentage of respondents still expect employment levels to hold steady. Even so, there was an uptick in the level of those expecting deterioration in the labour market over the next six months, although levels are still lower than the highs seen in 2015.
A vast majority of Ontarians still expect their budgets to hold steady over the next six months. The number of consumers who thought their budgets would stay the same in six months was up in April, whereas the number of respondents who were unsure fell.
The percentage of consumers who thought it was a bad time to make a big-ticket purchase moved up in April as fewer respondents expressed uncertainty on this topic.
According to the Conference Board of Canada, consumer confidence in Ontario rebounded again in March after falling for most of 2023.
Concerning job prospects over the next six months, the number of respondents expecting stability ticked higher, while those expecting deterioration in conditions fell. Most respondents still expect unchanged conditions over the next six months.
Regarding expectations for their household budget over the next six months, the number of respondents unsure of future conditions moved slightly higher in March, as the percentage of respondents expecting their household financial situation to worsen trended down while those who were optimistic ticked up.
Sentiment about making major purchases, like a home or a car, remains at historically subdued levels but improved in March. The percentage of consumers who thought it was a good time to buy ticked slightly higher compared to the previous month while those who thought it was a bad time moved lower. The number of respondents indicating they feel uncertain about whether it is a good or bad time to make a major purchase ticked higher in March.
Note: Based on 3-month moving averages.
