Most Favorable Mich. Survey About Jobs in 5 Years

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "Consumer sentiment rose in June to its highest since January 2008 while reports of job losses were down sharply from a year ago, a survey showed on Friday. A gauge of current economic conditions also rose to its highest since January 2008, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's Surveys of Consumers.

The final June reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment rose to 76 from 73.6 in May. The figure was above the median forecast of 75.5 among economists polled by Reuters, which was also the reading in early June. Reports of job losses fell by half since last June, from 65 percent of respondents to 29 percent, the survey showed.

"The June 2010 survey recorded the most favorable news heard by consumers about jobs in five years," Richard Curtin, director of the surveys, said in a statement."