Quikrete Industry Dashboard: Consumers and gas

The national unemployment rate increased in May to 3.7 percent, up from 3.4 percent in April, according to government data released Friday morning.

Those figures are among the highlights of the latest Quikrete Industry Dashboard. The collection of major industry metrics also shows gas prices down 3 cents from a month ago, and Consumer Confidence down slightly from April.

In addition to the Consumer Confidence Index, the New York business think tank The Conference Board released the following consumer data:

• 13.6% of consumers expect more jobs to be available, down from 14.3%.

• However, 20.2% anticipate fewer jobs, down from 21.3%.

Consumers’ short-term income prospects was, on balance, slightly more favorable.

• 17.8% of consumers expect their incomes to increase, up slightly from 17.3% last month.

• 11.5% expect their incomes will decrease, same as last month.

Coming next: The Quikrete Industry Dashboard will update monthly retail sales, including NAICS 444 (Home centers, lumberyards and hardware stores) and NAICS 44413 (the subset of hardware stores) on June 15.