• U.S. consumers felt more confident in March as the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan sentiment index rose to a four-month high of 78.6 for American consumers.
• Lower costs of fuel, a rise in the stock market and the continued recovery of the housing market are believed to be the major contributing factors for the rise in consumer spending.
• The labor force rose by 236,000 workers in February as the jobless rate hit a four-year low of 7.7%, according to Labor Department figures.

From the article:

"... Consumers in today’s confidence report said they expect an inflation rate of 3.2 percent over the next 12 months, compared with 3.3 percent in the prior two months. Over the next five years, Americans expected a 2.8 percent rate of inflation, the lowest in four months and down from 3 percent in February. ..."