Consumer confidence jumps on jobs outlook

The U.S. housing sector remains in the dumps, but consumer confidence is starting to show more than pulse.

Consumer confidence surged for the second straight month in May, rising 14.1 points to 54.9, The Conference Board announced Tuesday. The index rose to 40.8 in April from 26.9 in March. A Bloomberg News survey of economists had expected the index to rise to 43.0 in May.

The index is now at its highest level in eight months, or since September 2008, when it was at 61.4.