WASHINGTON — U.S. consumers expect better economic growth and rising incomes in the coming months, pushing a measure of confidence to a seven-year high in October.

The University of Michigan said Friday that its index of consumer sentiment rose to 86.9 from 84.6 in September. That’s the highest since July 2007, five months before the Great Recession began. Still, the index regularly topped 90 before the downturn.

The increase suggests consumers have largely dismissed concerns about slowing growth and are ignoring the sharp swings in financial markets earlier this month. Instead, more hiring and lower gas prices are boosting their outlook. On Tuesday, the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index also rose to its highest level since October 2007.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.