Switzerland's consumer confidence remained broadly unchanged in April after recording a marked improvement in January, data from a survey by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) showed Tuesday.
The consumer confidence index edged up to -5 in the three months to April from -6 in the preceding three-month period, indicating little change in confidence levels. Economists had forecast the index to rise to -2. The index, however, stayed slightly above its historical average.
Among the sub-indexes, the measure of households' expectations regarding the future economic development stayed unchanged in April, while their expectations for personal finances turned less optimistic. Consumers also turned less optimistic about their ability to save money in the coming months.
Data showed that households' perception of safety at workplaces and their outlook for unemployment were assessed less negative during the April quarter than in the preceding period.
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