The Conference Board&nbsp;® held steady in May, following a gain in April. The Index now stands at 117.2 (1985=100), down marginally from 117.5 in April. The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—increased from 131.9 to 144.3. However, the Expectations Index—based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions—fell to 99.1 in May, down from 107.9 last month.&nbsp; Join Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators and Chief Economist Dana Peterson as they discuss consumers’ waning optimism for the short-term.

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® Virtually Unchanged as Expectations Soften

Lindsay-Rae McIntyre's presentation at our recent DEI conference was one of the standout sessions. She shared Microsoft's DEI and culture journey, touching on issues such as growth mindset, authenticity, allyship, leadership....the list goes on. So for this podcast we selected some of the most compelling questions from the audience that we weren't able to get to on the day and engaged in a wide ranging, informative conversation where we talk about how messy this work can sometimes be, the need to reframe failure, the essence of allyship, addressing resistance and so much more. Lindsay-Rae ends with a call for us all to practice "relentless empathy" as we together create organizations and a world of genuine equity and inclusion.

Lindsay-Rae McIntyre of Microsoft on Growth Mindset, Allyship, and Relentless Empathy

The CED discussion series,&nbsp;Leadership in Challenging Times, interviews business leaders about the unprecedented challenges facing the nation and how they are helping chart a path forward for both their companies and communities in which they operate. In this interview with Lori Esposito Murray, President of the Committee of Economic Development of The Conference Board, Noubar Afeyan, Founder &amp; CEO of Flagship Pioneering and Co-Founder &amp; Chairman of Moderna, talks about the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, the rapid acceleration of biotechnology, and how public/private partnerships can breed collaboration and innovation. “If you ask yourself, ‘How do you know it’s going to work?’ you don’t even try. But if you ask yourself, ‘What do I have to believe to believe it will work, and what are all the things I’m going to bring with me to make sure I can iterate and adapt and change?’ that’s the thinking behind how we develop our platforms.” – Noubar Afeyan, Founder &amp; CEO of Flagship Pioneering and Co-Founder &amp; Chairman of Moderna

Leadership in Challenging Times with Noubar Afeyan

The SEC’s upcoming disclosure rules on human capital management (HCM) is – or should be – a top of mind issue in Corporate America. As companies prepare for those rules, it’s helpful to look at the first wave of human capital disclosures made in the months after SEC’s previous HCM disclosure rules took effect on November 9, 2020. In this podcast, Paul Washington, Executive Director of the ESG Center, sits down with Solange Charas, Founder and CEO of HCMoneyball and Distinguished Principal Research Fellow at The Conference Board Human Capital Center, and Ross Jeffries, Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Bank of America, to discuss human capital disclosure trends, based on a review of human capital disclosures made by 344 public companies from November 9th, 2020 to March 1st, 2021; Bank of America’s HCM story, which may serve as a model for others; and how to prepare for disclosure requirements on the way. Related resources

Human Capital Disclosure: Early Trends and a Case Study of Success

How might COVID-19 impact where, what and why we buy - even long after it’s gone? JP Kuehlwein, The Conference Board Marketing Institute leader, speaks with Paco Underhill, Founder &amp; CEO at Envirosell, as well as a guru when it comes to the shopping environment and its impact on our behaviors, to discuss this question. Join this conversation as Paco explains some of the instincts we all have as shoppers to help us understand how retailing might change – or not – in the near future. How do people interact with the shopping environment and the product proposition? And what can we learn from that as we try to predict what will happen next?

Brand Building and Communication in the Midst of the COVID-19 Crisis Part 5

The Conference Board expects that COVID-19 will have many lasting impacts on the world of work and Human Capital processes. To gauge how organizations are reacting to the changing business environment in the context of their workforces, we conducted an online survey in April 2020 with more than 150 U.S. HC executives, mostly in large companies. Join The Conference Board researchers, Robin Erickson, PhD, and Frank Steemers as they discuss our latest report, , and share our findings about remote work and the cost-reduction actions that have already been taken, as well as the HR priorities for the recovery phase. Teaser: we predict one of the lasting legacies of COVID-19. For other Human Capital topics in the wake of COVID-19, see .

From Immediate Responses to Planning for the Reimagined Workplace

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US labor market is experiencing a shock sharper than any in living memory. While likely understating the number of people at least temporarily sidelined, the official unemployment rate rocketed from close to a 50 year low to its highest level since the Great Depression in a matter of weeks. For black communities, the public health-induced whiplash into recession, almost exactly ten years after the peak of black unemployment in the wake of the Great Recession, poses a severe threat to the wellbeing of many families. With few black workers typically able to work from home and many in high-risk but low-income essential jobs, and with many households holding little wealth to cushion a financial shock, the stakes for the US policy response to COVID-19 are extremely high. Jessica Fulton, Vice President of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, joins to discuss the COVID-19 challenge for black communities and how it may it shape the future outlook for many vulnerable workers.

Jessica Fulton on COVID-19’s impact on black communities

Rosey Hurst, the Founder and Director of Impactt discusses with Uwe Schulte how the COVID-19 crisis is influencing human rights in Supply Chains. Whole regions suffer from demand break down. Migrant and workers in precarious conditions face the choice of starvation or risk of infection. Several companies have reverted from executing ‘force majeure’, finding creative ways to maintain a base level financial engagement with suppliers and their employees. Supply chains with extreme demand -like protective equipment- can create working conditions and extreme overtime, putting workers and therefore supply chain integrities at risk. Procurement professionals must be aware and demand changes.

Human Rights in Supply Chains During and After the Covid-19 Crisis

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index sees its biggest rise this month since 2011, yet still remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels. The index reveals consumers are less pessimistic about the short-term outlook, but fear an uneven and uncertain economic recovery amid virus concerns. Join Chief Economist Bart van Ark, and Senior Director of Economic Indicators, Lynn Franco, as they discuss the monthly numbers.

Consumer Confidence rebounds in June—but recovery remains uncertain amid virus

The just released Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® &nbsp;improved again in February, after increasing in January. The Index now stands at 91.3 (1985=100), up from 88.9 in January. The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—climbed from 85.5 to 92.0. However, the Expectations Index—based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions—fell marginally, from 91.2 last month to 90.8 in February.&nbsp;&nbsp; The survey results did not fully capture the events surrounding the Texas power crisis nor the loosening of dining restrictions in NYC. &nbsp; Join Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators and Conference Board Chief Economist Dana Peterson for this Indications podcast as they look at the current numbers - &nbsp;and what they portend for the future of 2021.