A measure of consumer confidence has slipped on less optimistic assessments of business and labor conditions.

The Conference Board reported its Consumer Confidence Index edged down three-tenths of a point to 107.3 in April.  A component of the index tracking current conditions retreated even as a component tracking short-term expectations advanced.

Lynn Franco, senior director of economic indicators at the Conference Board, said the latest results suggest the United States economy continued to expand early in the second quarter.

“Expectations, while still weak, didn’t deteriorate further amid high prices, especially at the gas pump, and the war in Ukraine,” Franco said. “Vacation intentions cooled, but intentions to buy big ticket items like automobiles and many appliances rose somewhat.”

The New York-based think tank bases the index on the results of monthly household surveys. Economists monitor the index because consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity

Less upbeat assessments pulled down the present situation component of the index 1.2 points to 152.6.

The proportion of consumers responding to the survey upon which the April index was based who described business conditions as “good” climbed 1.2 points to 20.8 percent. The share of those who said conditions were “bad” rose a half point to 21.9 percent.

The proportion of consumers who said jobs were “plentiful” declined 1.5 points to 55.2 percent. The share of those who said jobs were “hard to get” rose a point to 10.6 percent.

More upbeat outlooks pushed up the expectations component of the index a half point to 77.2.

The share of consumers who said they expected business conditions to improve over the next six months fell nine-tenths of a point to 18.1 percent. But the proportion of those anticipating worsening conditions fell more — 2.3 points to 21.8 percent.

The share of those who said they expected more jobs to become available in coming months edged down two-tenths of a point to 17.4 percent. The proportion of those who anticipate fewer jobs rose nine-tenths of a point to 18.9 percent.