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Consumer confidence rose for the first time since the general election.

Consumer confidence rose for the first time since the general election during August, as people felt more optimistic about the economic recovery, research indicated today.

The Nationwide Consumer Confidence Index jumped by five points in the month to 61, following three consecutive months during which confidence had fallen.

The rise was driven by an improvement in people's expectations of the state of the economy and the employment market in the months ahead.

The group's expectations index rose by seven points during the month, as the number of people who thought the economic situation would be good in six months' time increased by 3% to 26%.

There was also a 3% fall in the proportion of people who thought there would not be many jobs available in the coming months.

But the present situation index, which measures people's perception of the current economic situation, edged ahead only slightly during August, rising by one point to 27.

Mark Saddleton, Nationwide's head of economic and market analysis, said: "Consumers expressed greater optimism during August, causing the index to recover some of the ground lost since its interim peak in February.

"It may be that the recent dip was a product of increased caution following the general election as consumers assessed what direct impact a change in government and new austerity measures would have on their individual circumstances.

"While there is still a long way to go before it can be said that confidence has returned, these figures are an encouraging sign that consumers may be starting to feel more upbeat as the UK continues to recover from its deepest recession since the second world war."

But he added that speculation over government spending cuts, a difficult jobs market and a "stuttering" housing market were all likely to place downward pressure on confidence.

People's attitude towards spending improved during August, with 30% of people saying they thought it was a good time to make a major purchase, such as a house or car, up from 25% in July, while the proportion of people who thought it was a good time to purchase household goods remained unchanged at 40%.

But following a recent run of negative data on the property market, consumers are feeling downbeat about the prospects for house prices, with the average person expecting the value of their home to fall by 0.1% during the coming six months.