OTTAWA – The Conference Board of Canada says consumer confidence ticked upward slightly this month, but remains at recession-era lows.

The Ottawa think-tank's monthly survey showed Canadians largely remain pessimistic about their job prospects and their financial situation.

The index rose 2.5 points to 70.2 from December's 26-year low reading, but remains at levels consistent with the recessions of the early 1980s and 1990s.

The Conference Board says falling gas prices appeared to brighten the spirits of some consumers.

The survey suggests slightly more Canadians felt their families were better off than six months ago, and there was a decline in the number who felt they were worse off.

But the balance of opinion on employment prospects remained bleak in January with a majority saying they are concerned about the labour market.

Still, for the fourth month in a row there was a slight increase in the number of Canadians who felt now was a good time to make a major purchase, although more – by a margin of two-to-one – still feel it is a bad time.

The telephone survey of 2,000 was conducted Jan. 8 to 16 and is considered accurate within a margin of plus or minus 2.19 per cent, 19 times out of 20.