Washington - Consumer confidence inched higher in the United States in July, recovering slightly from a 16-year-low a month earlier, according to a private survey Tuesday.

The New York-based Conference Board said its index of consumer's expectations climbed to 51.9 from 51 in June, as the US economy struggles to come out of a sharp slowdown stretching back to the last quarter of 2007.

"Consumers' assessment of current conditions was little changed, suggesting there has been no significant improvement, nor significant deterioration, in business or labour market conditions," said Lynn Franco, director of the research at the Conference Board. (dpa)