WASHINGTON >> American consumers feel quite a bit more confident this month as Election Day approaches, a business research group says.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index jumped to 108.7 in October from 99.2 in September.

It was the biggest monthly gain since March 2021. Analysts forecast a more modest reading of 99.3.

The consumer confidence index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months.

The measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for income, business and the job market jumped to 89.1.

The Conference Board says a reading under 80 can signal a potential recession in the near future.

The board reported Tuesday that consumers’ view of current conditions climbed 14.2 points to 138.

“Consumers’ assessments of current business conditions turned positive,” said Dana Peterson, the Conference Board’s chief economist. “Views on the current availability of jobs rebounded after several months of weakness, potentially reflecting better labor market data.”

While some recent data show a weakening labor market, it broadly remains healthy by historical standards.

The government reported earlier this month that the U.S. economy added 254,000 jobs in September, much more than was forecast. The unemployment rate dipped to 4.1%.

The October jobs report comes out Friday.