Bureau of Business Research
Date of this Version
10-6-2017
Document Type
Article
Citation
Prepared by the UNL College of Business, Bureau of Business Research
Abstract
Nebraska’s consumer confidence tumbled during September while business confidence held steady. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) fell to 93.5 in September, well below the reading of 100.9 in August and the neutral value of 100.0. Consumer confidence is now weak in Nebraska. By contrast, the Nebraska business confidence remained strong. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) stood at 105.2 in September, slightly above the August value of 104.2, and well above the neutral value of 100.0. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, customer demand was mentioned by 37 percent of business respondents. Businesses also faced growing competition in both the labor and product markets. The availability and quality of labor was mentioned as the most important issue by 24 percent of September respondents while 10 percent mentioned competition from other businesses. All percentages are similar to those reported in the August survey. Households reported a variety of financial concerns with 47 percent choosing the cost of living including health care costs, taxes, major expenses (furniture, appliances, automobiles) and the general cost of living. During September, one-quarter of households reported that their primary financial issue related to paying off debt or building savings while 12 percent reported concerns about their employment or their business.
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Behavioral Economics Commons, Business Commons, Economic Theory Commons, Growth and Development Commons, Labor Economics Commons, Macroeconomics Commons, Political Economy Commons, Public Economics Commons, Regional Economics Commons
Comments
Copyright 2017 Eric Thompson, Bureau of Business Research